Meet Vienna Repeta | Tattoo Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vienna Repeta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vienna, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
The landing place I hope to find myself in towards the end of my career, is one where I own and manage a self made tattoo studio with a curated focus on emotional and physical accessibility.

A studio that not only has a deep sense of empathy and patience to truly understand a client’s wishes and meaning attached to their art, but one that also values accommodating a client to make sure they feel as comfortable as possible in the tattooing environment.

By working out of a traveling tattoo van the next couple of years, I hope to gain a deeper sense of what it takes to keep every type of person safe and reassured.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My hope is that pigeons nest tattoos can mean something different for every client I work with. Whether thats a client sharing a struggle they’ve faced and how they want to build a design around overcoming that..

a group of friends finishing a shared experience and accomplishment of a
long distance hike together..

Or a goofy doodle your partner made you.

No two experiences are identical and PNT fully embraced the fluid human experience and focuses on client comfort and communication to create art to commemorate the different chapters we go through via ink and needles!

By working out of a van I have found a way to not only work with a wide variety of people and identities, but to also take inspiration from the many different scenes, critters and folk around the u.s.
It also serves as a solution for folks who have social anxiety, physical disabilities, etc. to have the studio come to their driveway.

I hope to have the whole van and setup prepared to meet the world by August 2023, but have some more work and preparing to do for now. Until then, I’ll be staying local to the area and designing long distance.

Inquires at: pigeonsnest.tattoos@gmail.com

what I have found in challenges is that I am proud of the way I have managed to forge fury out of pain.

From hearing about friend’s & folk’s encounters with sexist tattoo artists, to enduring unwanted advances while actively having work done- it was finally landing a job in the tattoo sphere after years of aspiring- just for my boss to make vulgar and disgusting comments about the women and fem presenting clients that visited the shop. What he wishes he could say and do to them.
This and other behavior ultimately altered a space I was excited to be apart of and thought Id be safe working in. That was a final push for me to ensure I dedicate myself to become a better kind of a tattoo artist. To build a different type of environment.

I feel every tattoo artist has a responsibility to inform and educate themselves on how to welcome and comfort all types of people and all bodies to the space. To not diminish a client’s moment, and to honor their trust and art.

I’m determined to eliminate any possibility of any co-worker or any client being made to feel uncomfortable or receive specific attention due to their race, gender identity, ethnicity, religious following or sexual orientation.

Alongside designing tattoos, I have a deep love for both creating visuals in the music community as well story boarding comics.

The Fort Collins music scene is unmatched- I’ve really been digging working with musicians on show/tour posters and cover art.
I have a lot of respect for anyone who can make music and I enjoy trying to emulate that feeling visually.

As for comics, I’m currently working on two! One with the as mentioned famous Stella- about a inter-dimensional Chinese delivery service with a burning antagonist. And a personal comic about falling in love with a ladybug yielding grim reaper who guides souls with extra emotional baggage to the afterlife.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The top three must sees of Fort Collins from me includes:

‘The Alley Cat’: A cozy community filled cafe with art and life spilling from every crevice. Ceiling panels are painted over by local artists. You can find secret notes or play board games. Even flip your table’s note to indicate whether or not you’d welcome company or would like some time to focus! Home of the most delicious chai shake known to man.

Edora skate park: Sick

& ‘The Lyric’: A creative and fun loving hub that serves as a music venue, bar & restaurant, theatre and f****ing harbor of magic.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I hold infinite heaps and bunches of gratefulness for the friends and artists who have encouraged me and simultaneously held me accountable. A overall phenomenal person that comes to mind is Stella. They not only have fantastic drawing skills, welcome new mediums and challenges but also help me foster for love and confidence for what I create when I find it the hardest.

Of course I have to mention my best friend Moobert (AKA Molly), who keeps my ass in check and gives me the feedback I don’t always want to admit to myself.

An explorer of the depths of what it means to reach into the utter raw; to infuse art with feeling and experience: Shane, helps me stay in touch with all sides of my capability as an artist. (@a16mm)

And finally I really want to send some love to friends and band members of Fort Collin’s ‘autumnal’. Geneva, Justice and Annalee encourage me to keep creating, keep getting involved and that all art and music has a valid space. (@autumnal.music).

Instagram: @pigeons.nest.tattoos