Since GUMO followed his heart and bought a tattooing machine, the rest came by itself. Approaching tattooing by chance, GUMO’s work is inspired by – and opens up to – the world he sees every day: his dog, his friends, his family. His perspective encompasses the connections he actually builds in life: he’s only concerned with what he can touch and see everyday. GUMO is far-removed from feelings of infatuation with other people’s work or from the need to define a style; instead, he carved his own path by following his natural inclinations, accepting failure, and found his way through a radically independent ethos. However, GUMO’s aims go way beyond tattoo. He’s recently been thinking about things that have always felt more authentic, profound, and sincere to him – those are the things he wishes will be there in his future.

How and why did you start tattooing?
I started tattooing very randomly, at the time I was in a job I didn't like and so I followed my heart a bit and bought myself a machine, shortly after that a close friend of mine got one for the same reasons. We started to get together more to exchange tips, and things came by themselves, I never insisted on tattooing in itself.

The universe you build through your work is an elaboration of different imaginaries, and seems to draw on a complex range of sources of inspiration. Can you tell us about your references?
I don't really like the word "reference" because I think it’s very reductive for oneself; when we speak instead of being inspired, or rather opening up to something, rather than channeling ourselves towards a single person. I don’t want to be polemical and I hope I’m not. I am inspired by things I can actually see every day: my dog, my friends, my family. I don't experience an infatuation with someone or something far from me or whose artistic work I follow/appreciate because I just can't do it. I never look at the work of others or very rarely only if I know them personally. I think it’s difficult to distinguish all the facets of my work because I do not look at anyone else's to produce, and I am not inspired by another tattoo artist or an artistic movement but by normal and real life out there: the interactions between people, society. I'm only concerned with what I can actually see or touch, I don't say it is wrong to take inspiration from other artists but I already have so many things in me and very little space.

How did you come to define the line that distinguishes you now? What do you think of the idea of “style” in tattooing?
In my mind there are various different people who do different things; returning to my earlier mood I think it's a little late in 2020 to talk about "styles". At the same time, however, I think it’s completely normal for external people to need to label and subdivide the "artists" and for this reason I think I don't have a great following nor to be highly appreciated. However, it’s not like this is my personal battle. As for my line, I got there having to move around the fact that I'm not good at pulling a line from one point to another, and I don't like to stress too much about imposing things that don't come naturally to me. Through various attempts, which initially also failed miserably, I found a way of not having to follow a track/path; I think it's a bit like putting the distortion on a guitar to mask errors and later having more room to improve.

You have an incredible patience towards the criticism addressed to you on Instagram. What drives you to keep a tolerant and open attitude, and to persevere in your practice?
The criticisms are addressed to me on Instagram and this says it all. Let’s say, however, that they are sincere people and I see sincerity in what they express; I am always very skeptical of positive appreciation while negative ones can never be false. I'm so calm because theirs is completely normal as a feedback; many of those people have just gained their mental independence and, at a certain age, they feel free to be able to express themselves by tattooing and dressing as they want (a little late), going on vacation in the tropics after a life in which they have been told tattoos are immoral; then a boy who is half their age unsettles everything. They have my understanding. Some of them are in a conflict of interest; they have just started to open up to something to discover it’s not what they thought, then they see me, still a tattoo artist in their mind, and the old thoughts imposed by grandparents/parents resurface; which is, that tattoos are dirty and ugly. They don't know what to believe. I don't want to talk too much about it anyway; I am so calm because I don't do my things thinking about the opinion of others so we’re good.

How do you see your art evolving in the future?
I have no idea; 2 years ago I didn't know what I was going to do and it's the same now, I'll answer this question over time. In recent months, however, I’ve been thinking very little about tattoos and from an earlier time there have always been other things that I believe to be more true and profound, sincere for the life of a human being, such as music or writing; they are what I would like to have in my future if I could choose. A lot of tattooists that I've known are poser pussies.