Life is a puzzle that is not easy to solve. Yet, at one point in time, every person starts searching for meaning and purpose in their life. While some people struggle to find what their goal might be, others know theirs from the start.
Richard Pis, aka RickyG, is a celebrity tattoo artist and painter. At a very young age, he already knew his destiny was to become a Creator of the Arts. However, while he knew precisely what he wanted to pursue, he also knew that the journey to get there would be challenging.
Still, his passion burned bright, and young RickyG did everything to make his dream come true. He was involved in a variety of work, including acting, dancing, being a stunt man and voiceover, and even took part in the music business. But even though he did well in those different fields, it was not until he started creating street art, also known as graffiti, that he found his passion. He knew this was not a field he would make a career out of, so he took his talents and celebrity contacts and began an underground apprenticeship as a tattoo artist from a famous and well-connected artist to the stars named Rob G as his first steps.
While teaching, he encountered the issue that tattoos were not highly accepted by society. If you had one, it was most likely you were either in the military or someone in the prison system. Many states had strict laws, and in some cities and states, it was illegal. Tattoos were considered more taboo than taken seriously for art.
This challenge urged his mentor and teacher to put their celebrity contacts and talents on display through their art on many top celebrities’ skin and show the world through these stars that art was part of their journey. Now they can tell their story through their skin, get published in many magazines and be seen worldwide until tattoos started being more recognized and respected as another medium of art. This was another step in becoming more known, bringing him closer to making his dream a reality.
When he finally got the opportunity to shine on the big stage, he won an award from some of the top and most respected artists at the time: Jack Rudy from Good Time Charlie’s since 1975, Kari Barbara from Outer Limits since 1979 and Leo Zulueta from Black Wave Tattooing since 1981, where he would take third place for best tribal and first place for black n grey tattoo, solidifying his place amongst the greats in Miami’s second Tattoo Convention Artistry in Ink at Coconut Grove Convention Center. He continued breaking barriers and making a name for himself. His craft hand on his way to making his dream a reality, he began making headlines in newspapers, magazines and TV.
As a creator with so many ideas of how to create, RickyG became unsure of which path to take, and so he became one of the world’s wanderers. The journey to find his purpose led him to the streets of Hialeah, Florida, where his life changed forever.
“At age 12, I knew I wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t know what kind of artist I would become until I experienced the turmoil in the streets of Miami in the early ’80s. The hip hop culture was developing with films showing the artistry like Beat Street and Breaking,” says Ricky. “I explored the freedom of expression through graffiti, fashion, music and dances at the time. However, one thing that caught my eye was the expression of art on people’s skin that represented their story from the love, faith, hurt and pain.”
Ricky could see people’s journeys through their stories and turn their innermost thoughts into art that they could wear on their sleeves, on a wall, or in a painting. But that’s not all; he was able to act out their emotions through his acting in different roles, his music, poetry and comedy. The tattoo artist to the stars started to become a star himself, working in the community, helping those around him, and making a difference one person at a time.
Only a handful of people could understand the task at hand, even though dozens of them are attempting to on a daily basis. But he knew this was a gift, and at that moment, Ricky G knew what his calling would be—clear as a day, a sign from God. By his vision, he could take someone’s innermost thoughts and transform them into art. “That’s when I decided to become an artist,” he says. “I couldn’t help others in any other way except art, and I vowed I would make a difference one person at a time. And when I got my first shop, I immediately started touching others’ lives through art.” It was then he realized he was created to become a creator.
