Kenzie is a traditional tattooer in Winnipeg, Manitoba known for bold lines, bright colours and a pretty even mix of cute and tough designs from kewpies with hearts to flaming skulls and everything in between. Kenzie is also one of my own main tattooers and has done five tattoos on me, not including the background on both my arms. Being a tattoo collector and someone who is quite picky about who gets access to the quickly diminishing space left on my body means there aren’t many tattooers that I return to for more pieces, and Kenzie is one of them. If you’re looking for an inclusive space where you can relax and put your guard down while getting stabbed for a few hours, I can’t recommend Kenzie enough.
- Please introduce yourself to us. “My name is Kenzie Rhi, I’m a tattooer in Winnipeg, Manitoba working out of Albert Street Tattoo.”
2. How did you first get into tattooing, both as a tattooer and getting tattooed? “I’ve known since I was young that I would end up collecting tattoos. Not necessarily in the capacity that I am now, but that was always the hope. I got my first few tattoos in my young teens but got my first traditional tattoo on my 18th birthday and fell in love immediately! I never really knew that I wanted to tattoo or that that was an option for me, I’ve always made art of various forms throughout my life but kind of fell off of doing it regularly because life got busy. When we first went into Covid lockdown and I had nothing but time, I started sketching up some ideas for what I wanted to get tattooed once we could go back out again. In turn I ended up learning to paint traditional tattoo flash and that eventually led to me getting an apprenticeship.”
3. What drew you to American traditional style tattooing? “When I used to think of a ‘tattoo’ my mind always went to traditional. I think growing up in the early 2000’s, you’d see ‘Ed Hardy’ everywhere. I’ve always loved how bright and striking it is.”
4. Who are some artists that inspire you, living or dead, tattooers and/or others? “Oh man, what a long list! I’ve been lucky enough over the years I’ve been tattooing to travel and collect tattoos from a lot of my favourite artists. Becca Lerner in Indianapolis, Fernando Mardo in Mesa, and Jordan Allen in LA are a few that come to mind first. Chelsea Rhea in Philly and Ryan Arnold in Portland are next on my list to visit. Both great tattooers!”
5. As a woman working in the tattoo industry do you still see it as a male dominated field? Do you think there have been any added barriers for you working in the industry as a woman? “I’ve always worked in women dominated shops so I don’t think I feel it as much as some other women. I do feel like sometimes men who also make traditional tattoos don’t take my work as seriously because I’m not a traditional ‘purist” and don’t exclusively tattoo classic imagery. I don’t really care haha. I just make whatever my clients ask of me, or whatever comes to mind when I’m sitting down to draw flash, and try to do my best and make a good tattoo because that’s what really matters.”
6. What’s your favourite motif to tattoo and why? “I love tattooing ladies in any form. Big cats, flowers, vases. I don’t have much of a preference in tattoo imagery otherwise – moreso if people give me the freedom to have fun with it then I’m happy!”
7. Have you ever been asked to tattoo something that you refused to do, or is there anything you won’t do? “Obviously anything offensive is off the table for me but I would hope that’s a given. I also don’t particularly care to tattoo people who want to dictate the entirety of my drawing process. In my mind if you’re choosing a particular artist for your tattoo, it’s because you like their work. Their work looks like that because they drew it, not because the client told them how to draw it.”
8. With the rise of generative AI, tattoo schools and amazon tattoo kits and the like, are you at all worried about the future of tattooing? “If you use AI, you’re lame. AI has no place in the arts and certainly no place in tattooing. As for the Amazon tattooers – there’s not much we can do about that. If you’re going to do it, I guess just protect your clients and yourselves. I let the quality of my work and my process speak for itself so this isn’t threatening to me. Most of them get into tattooing for money, ego and/or a cheap thrill and quit within the first couple of years once they realize how much work it is to actually run a flourishing tattoo business.”
9. Anything else you would like to add? “Keep getting tattooed, support your friends who make art and be a nice person! Thanks Jon for asking me to be a part of your blog!”
