Mr Lewis’ rise up the ranks has been rapid, and he has now been nominated as best newcomer at the Tattoo Industry Awards at Tattoo Jam, hosted by the business’s biggest-selling magazine, Skin Deep.
‘I’m just stoked to be nominated as one the UK’s best up-and-coming artists,’ he said. ‘They called last week to tell me and I’m not even bothered about winning – it’s all about the recognition,’ he said.
Mr Lewis, who is hoping to specialise in black and white portraiture, said his introduction into the industry had been a rough ride because, having studied art at GCSE and AS level, he ‘fell into the corporate world’. But after six years of pen-pushing he decided enough was enough and enrolled on a tattoo course.
‘Tattoo courses are something that tend to be frowned on in the industry, but I wouldn’t be where I am without it – it gave me confidence,’ he said.
