“Communicating and trying to understand one another is crucial to survive this existential shitshow.”

Syzmon Lipowski found tattooing in rehab, where drawing on himself and friends became a way to stay grounded and sober. Over time it developed into a practice with its own raw, expressive style. Now based in Kraków at Europa tattoo shop (@europatattooshop), he creates tattoos that carry humor, anxiety, and honesty in equal measure, resonating with people who see their own struggles reflected in his work.

“You could say that this form of art, for me, began as a form of therapy”

How did you find your way into tattooing?

The whole idea of me being a tattoo artist started at a rehab. After years of substance abuse of nearly any kind I decided to check in and get clean. Start a new life, not even sure what kind of life. Then, at the facility, I met a great therapist—he helped me find direction in my life for the first time. The thing is, the guy was tattooed, mostly by himself. I thought that was really cool. So, after I left, I just started tattooing myself and my friends.

The process helped me tremendously with my anxiety and staying sober. With time, both my technique and my style began to crystallise. So, that made me think that perhaps this kind of career is for me? You could say that this form of art, for me, began as a form of therapy.

How would you describe your tattoo style? 

Expressive; rugged, uneven lines; emotion-dump; oversharing and overanalysing. 

Can you tell us about the origins of George the cat?

George started out as a cat—I was just starting and drew some sketches with cat-related puns, like "CATaclysm" or "CATapult". Over time, this anonymous cat began to become more and more a vessel for my emotions, my fears, my anxieties. Even though his name comes from a cat that I had as a child, I don't think about him as an animal anymore—just a character, species unknown.

The original George the cat.

"...this anonymous cat began to become a vessel for my emotions, my fears, my anxieties"

Your website says your “existential dread” tattoos are a form of quiet protest...

What I meant by that is that my use of meme culture and irony, while light-hearted, are kind of directed against the contemporary mainstream cultural ecosystem. Those witty one-liners and internet references that I tattoo, for me, are a sort of psychological resistance against the economy based on the incessant stream of dopamine hits, rewarding you each time you either spend money or look at an ad. I think that even humorous exploration of hard, existential subjects, forces one to, even for a moment, break free from being either a consumer or a product in this system of addiction to overstimulation.

As an artist, do you think it’s more important to create work that pleases yourself first, or focus on what others want from you?

The answer lies somewhere in between. People choose my work to be a permanent part of their lives, because they identify with my own feelings, which I express through my art. By creating work that is an extension of myself, I am able to find people who also identify with what I personally feel. Of course there is always room for adjustments, sometimes a client wishes for a modified version of my drawing and I am always happy to oblige.

“By creating work that is an extension of myself, I am able to find people who also identify with what I personally feel”

Looking ahead, what do you want people to associate with your name as a tattoo artist? 

I like that people feel personal connection with my work. They didn't choose it just because it "looks cool", they attach personal significance to my ink. And, coming back to my previous answer, I love the underlying theme of empathy, how human emotions are universal, how a seemingly silly piece of art can help one look at their experience in the context of "someone else feels like this too".

Anything else you'd like to share?

You are important and you matter. No matter who you are, life's shit, that's why helping, communicating and trying to understand one another is crucial to survive this existential shitshow.

See more from Syzmon Lipowski @lipnetattoo