None of us at Art-Movie-Book took the plunge and got any new tattoos this week, but we did find the best guy for the job. Thys Uys is an exceptional tattoo artist and the owner of Fallen heroes – the infamous tattoo studio in Parkhurst, Johannesburg.
For most of us who are not in the regular habit of ‘inking’ our bodies, we imagine a dark and dingy tattoo parlour somewhere in a back-ally in a shady part of town, with dodgy characters lurking in the corners, with way too much eyeliner and hair begging for a splash of shampoo. You know….the kind of place with people your mother warned you about… Fallen heroes is nothing like this at all!
When you enter the studio you are greeted by friendly faces, artists either in consultation or sitting around drawing sketches for clients, with the comforting smell of surgical alcohol hanging in the air. Yes, when there are needles involved I find the smell of surgical alcohol comforting.
Thys started his adult life in the film industry in the camera department. He did tattoos for friends and family at home after being on set the whole day, which sounds like a high-risk situation in itself. However they kept coming back and the clientèle kept expanding.
He realised his calling as a tattoo artist and the same infatuation with light and shadow, depth and detail that originally lured him into film, now makes him one of the country’s most sought after tattoo artists, with human canvases that include The Parlotones, John Vlismas (Comedian) and DJ Fresh to name a few.
He spent time in the USA, where the stringent discipline and control around the profession has set the standard for the beautiful combination of artist’s studio and surgical consultation room that is now Thys’s pride and joy – Fallen heroes, co-owned with his gorgeous wife Jen.
Thys regularly travels throughout South Africa for clients and has also been invited to do guest spots at various studios throughout the USA where his talent and artistry is recognised.
After seeing this, I know that at least one of you will be visiting the steady hand of Thys Uys for a permanent piece of art one day very soon, and when the work is done and his mark is made, please be sure to share the details with us at Art-Movie-Book. Mind blowing stuff, don’t you think! Visit www.fallenheroes.co.za and make an appointment…
