At just 24 years old, Julija Lelesiute has transformed her life and career since moving to Enniskillen from Lithuania four years ago.
Arriving at the age of 20, Julija initially worked in hospitality as a chef and bartender, but her passion for creativity eventually led her down an entirely new path.
“When I first came here, I was working in a kitchen as a chef and behind the bar,” Julija recalled.
“Then I saw that an artist at Mates’ Tattoos was looking for an apprentice.”
That opportunity marked the beginning of a new chapter, turning Julija’s love for art into a thriving career as a professional tattoo artist.
Comparing the pressures of her two very different professions, she laughed: “Both are jobs where you have to have a lot of concentration, so it works; it is focused and it is high pressure.
“In a restaurant, you [the customer] want something to be perfectly done, if it is not, you can send it back.
“But it is not the same in tattooing, it is a little bit more pressured – with tattooing, it is for the rest of your life!”
In 2024, she relaunched her career with the support of Tanja, the founder of Academy Talia, a local training academy for aspiring artists.
Now, Julija’s intricate fine-line designs are donning the bodies of people from Fermanagh and across Northern Ireland.
She applied and successfully served her apprenticeship before taking a short break and relaunching her career in 2024.
Julija explained further: “I then started alongside Tanya from Academy Talia. She has a training academy for students, so she has been helping me from the beginning.”
It is clear she has a love of the art form, judging by the many tattoos that adorn her own body and her arms.
“I have big things and small things”, she said. “I think it [tattooing] is an expression; it is art, it is for the rest of your body, so you always have to choose wisely what you get.
“My own tattoos are mostly old-school, traditional, and I do think they are an expression of yourself and how you feel.
“There are certain periods of life where you feel like getting one because it is memorable.”
While her own personal style is quite bold, she specialises in fine line designs.
The style is very popular, she said: “There is a lot of precision for fine line [tattoos]; we use the smallest needles there are. It heals better and it is nice.
“It is very popular with women. They usually get scripts or memorable dates or small little portraits.”
Julija said while the designs are smaller, they can take some time due to their fine nature.
As for inspiration for her clients, many come to her with examples and ideas of what they would like.
“Some people have references from existing tattoos, but I don’t want to copy anything, so I try to put my own touch on something. We always advise on placement.
“Some areas are more painful than others, or the healing process might be more difficult, so we think about that too.
“Fingers are painful, the skin is quite different and it is a very bony area, and it fades quicker too.”
As for her own inspiration, she takes it from artworks and the world around her.
“I love florals, I like doing peonies, I like the blossoms, and I enjoy butterflies, because it is a new beginning, rebirth and that.
“I do a lot of dates for something special, to remember someone who has passed, or a special date.”
For those who have decided they no longer want a tattoo, there is also an alternative, explained Julija.
“I do saline [tattoo] removals, which use saline solution into the skin. It is the same method as tattooing, but instead of ink, we insert the saline solution, and it brings out the pigment.
“It is less traumatic than laser [removal].”
As for trends, she says the majority of her clients seek tattoos with black and white or brown colours with shading.
Julija said: “I do sometimes use colour; I specialise more in black and white.
“The trend is black and shading, colour is more of a statement. I have a lot of colours personally, but not everyone will choose that.”
When asked if she had a favourite design, Julija was very diplomatic as she said: “Most of my tattoos are my favourite.”
For more of Julija’s work, see her Instagram profile, inkby_julija.
