NYC Tattoo Artist is a New York tattoo practice built around custom design, direct communication, and the idea that clients should understand the decisions behind the work they wear.
Founder Mateo Rivera grew up in Queens in a family where drawing was encouraged but never treated as an obvious career. He filled school notebooks with portraits, lettering, album-cover studies, and sketches of people on the subway. He was equally interested in the visual language outside the sketchbook: hand-painted storefront signs, neighborhood murals, memorial pieces, graffiti, religious imagery, old photographs, and the mix of cultures that made each part of New York look a little different.
As Mateo began spending more time around tattoo studios, he became interested in the trade for a reason beyond the artwork. Tattooing created a direct relationship between a drawing and a person's life. A portrait might preserve a family memory. A small symbol could mark a private turning point. A cover up could change how someone felt about a part of their body. Over the years, he learned that strong technical work mattered, but so did the conversation before the tattoo. Clients often knew exactly what they wanted emotionally even when they did not know the visual language to describe it.
Mateo started NYC Tattoo Artist around a simple working philosophy: slow down the planning, keep the communication clear, and make the finished piece feel intentional. He later brought tattoo artist Lena Park and piercing specialist Devin Morales into the team. Each has a different visual background, but they share the same approach to clients. The business remains closely connected to the city that shaped Mateo's eye, serving people from across the five boroughs, Long Island, Hoboken, and surrounding communities.
We focus on Black And Grey Tattoos, Portrait Tattoos, Fineline Tattoos, Color Tattoos, Cover Up Tattoos, and Piercing. Each service has its own page so you can see exactly what is involved before you call.
We are based around New York and serve New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Staten Island, Bronx, and Hoboken.
A reference image tells us what something looks like. The conversation tells us why it matters. We want both before making important design decisions.
A tattoo needs to work on skin, around movement, and at the scale it will actually be worn. Placement is part of the design rather than an afterthought.
More detail is not always better, and smaller is not always simpler. We explain how scale, contrast, color, and placement affect the finished piece.
Clients should feel comfortable asking basic questions, changing their mind during planning, or saying when something does not feel right.
Meet the people who answer the phone and do the work on our Meet the Team page, or see how to join us on our Careers page.
Ready to talk through your tattoo? Send the concept, placement, approximate size, and any references you already have.
Free — no obligations