The history of Cesar Montalvo illustrates how far an artist can go in pursuit of the personal goals that appeal to him today USA. The Peruvian tattoo artist He came to North American countries with the desire that his art would be appreciated and paid better than in his country, which led him through a long period of time long and hard road looking for it American dream. Now founded with its own premises in North CarolinaCésar tells us the details of his journey and what the future holds for him.
César Montalvo and a great story about advances in tattooing
Born on October 15, 1999, Cesar Montalvo Arteaga It is a 24 year old young man Grew up in Chosicawho entered the world of ink at the age of 16. He has basic knowledge of School of Fine Arts and its history in the world of ink begins first in Jirón de la Unión, went through another in Miraflores and today established itself in USA.
“Here there is respect for the tattoo artist and the art of tattooing. Unlike in Latin America, we are seen as influencers here,” the artist tells us with a laugh.
His arrival in North America took place through one of the most difficult pathsbut he managed to achieve new York to live and work as a tattoo artist. However, the great competition and the high cost of living there made the business unprofitable.
For this reason, a year after arriving in North America, he decided to move to North Carolina to settle there and go beyond borders with his art: “I like my life now, I have my apartment, my own car and would like to buy a sports car, a Camaro, by the end of the year.” he tells us.
“Thank God I can have my mother healthy in Peru today and I remain committed to my goal one day have several locations here in the United States. I want to bring artists from Peru or another country My dream is for Latin American talent to be known“adds the artist.
César admits that he was inspired by the story of Stefano Alcántara, another Peruvian successful tattoo artist in the United States, whom he was able to meet in New York. Photo: Works by César Montalvo from his Instagram
How much can a Latino tattoo artist make in the USA?
Many artists ask themselves this question before they want to migrate USA. We asked César, who had no problem telling us in detail about this aspect of his career. However, he made it clear that this varies greatly depending on your experience and the state you are in.
“It is with great modesty that I consider that I am still a normal tattoo artist here, I remain in the middle. When I arrived, I charged what I could: $100 or $300 for small jobs.” Now I charge $1,500 per day or full session, as a fixed price; But Tattoo artists with more experience can charge $4,000 here $5,000 per day. We strive for this dream,” he comments.
That is, if the design is very complex, such as in Realism styleCésar tells us that he tries to finish his work in a single session because if he doesn't finish or the work is half done, a second session would cost the same.
César Montalvo specializes in “realism” and “black work” tattoo styles. Photo: IG from CM
“I always try to complete my tattoos on the same day, but this depends a lot on the client's tolerance and how intricate the design is. The idea is not to re-charge him for another full session It usually takes me between 10 and 12 hours, mainly because I like to see my work finished. Elaborating the design also takes another 4 to 5 hours, always with the client's ideas, but these are not included in the entire session. I’ll schedule a separate appointment for that,” he adds.
On the other hand, if you ask the artist what the impact of a good month of work as a tattoo artist is North CarolinaCaesar tells us that he always tries between 13 and 15 monthly sessions, apart from small jobs for which he typically charges between $300 and $500. That would mean an income of approximately $22,500 per month; However, a number of factors must be deducted from this sum: “Rent for the premises is $4,000 and for tools is $3,000. Let’s say I invest per month.” $7,000 in business alone. In my department it is 1,500 US dollars and we also have to remember that taxes are declared here, or Taxs, that’s 30% of your annual income.”
Now César is preparing for another challenge in his career. The 24-year-old tattoo artist will take part in the international conference Villain Arts Tattoo Festivalwith the aim of achieving a new recognition in which it is represented Peru.