Pristina - Unejambeni Tattoo

21.03.23

For today, I have an appointment with Benjamin, a tattoo artist from Pristina.

A few days ago, I sent Benjamin an email and simply searched for information on the internet beforehand. A larger city is perfect for things like this...

Before I hop on my bike in the morning, I stop by Feim's cafe next door. Since I'm only 10m away in the parking lot and I'm already a regular, we naturally know each other by now. He speaks German, not surprisingly. His brother lives in Esslingen and he himself has lived in BaWü as well. A few years ago, he came back and opened a small cafe here. He lives right upstairs and even his siblings, who actually live in Germany, have an apartment here. They're coming to visit him next week. That's how it goes here... Delicious coffee with milk and a bit of chatting, then off to the city.

On the second day with the bike, I feel a bit like I actually live in the city. Having the bike with me definitely makes things much easier. Especially in the cities, you're super flexible and independent. And sometimes I feel a little bit at home when I cruise through the streets like this.

You never really know what to expect when you plan a tattoo based on a few pieces of information from the internet....

Beni is definitely a very likeable and smart guy, who I got along with perfectly right from the start. He is also very open and interested, so we talked about all sorts of things. Among other things, we also talked about the many 'tourists' who are currently visiting from Switzerland and Germany. He and his friends lovingly call this time 'Schatzi Time'. On the one hand because they're visiting family, but also because 'money is coming in'. And of course, in German... For him, it's also a time when he works a lot. Beni also mentioned that 37 planes arrived in Kosovo today alone. That's quite a lot for such a small country.

When it comes to his job, he is really professional and does really good work.

The 27-year-old was born in Pristina and studied art here. He now tattoos full-time. Before that, he worked as a graphic designer.

After the first session in the morning, we immediately scheduled a second one in the afternoon.

I would go back anytime. Had a really good time with Beni in his studio.

In the end, he asked me if I would like to try tattooing myself sometime... I had actually wanted to do that for a long time. He showed me everything and I gave myself my first tattoo. It was amazing. A little dream come true. It went pretty well too.

Beni said that occasionally he offers this to clients when his instinct tells him it might be a good fit. Beni is not only a cool guy, but also a creative artist. His entire studio and the way he works and what matters to him, make the place more than just a standard tattoo shop. At the end of the day, the studio should be a space for creative expression and not lose its natural underground character. In line with this, all his clients are allowed to immortalize themselves on one of the walls with a spray can or other utensils. Smoking, drinking, eating, no problem at all, as long as you feel comfortable. And I did. It was a beautiful and unique day.