Today we’d like to introduce you to Jiri Tomanek.
Hi Jiri, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started tattooing in 2014 in the Czech Republic. There was no big master plan behind it. I was always drawn to art, but tattooing became the first medium where I felt like everything came together: drawing, people, psychology, pressure, improvisation, and the fact that there is no eraser. Once you put a line into somebody’s skin, you have to stand behind it. I think that suited my personality.In the beginning, I was basically learning by doing. Over the years I slowly developed my own approach, especially with color, watercolor, realism, portraits, and more dynamic compositions. I have never been very interested in fitting neatly into one tattoo category. I like when a tattoo feels alive and has movement, contrast, and some personality behind it.In 2020, I opened my own studio in Brno called Tattoo Attic, where I worked under the name Bratr Víra. The name loosely translates to “Brother Faith,” but it has nothing to do with religion. For me, it represents faith in yourself and in whatever path you decide to follow, especially when that path does not make complete sense to everybody else.Running my own studio taught me a completely different side of tattooing. Suddenly it was not only about making good tattoos. It was about clients, business, responsibility, building a team, dealing with problems, and creating an environment where people actually wanted to work and spend time. I think those years changed me a lot, both as an artist and as a person.At the same time, I started traveling more and tattooing outside of the Czech Republic. Eventually I began coming to California, and that became a pretty important chapter for me. I have spent roughly two years coming back and forth to the U.S., tattooing, meeting people, and experiencing a completely different culture around the work.This year especially has been a strange one. I closed the chapter of my old studio in Brno after almost six years, and instead of immediately trying to rebuild exactly what I had before, I decided to give myself some space and see where life takes me. That brought me back to California again, tattooing in San Diego and spending some time in Hawaii as well.What I like here is that individuality feels like an advantage. I have always felt slightly outside of the traditional tattoo community. I never really tried to become part of a particular scene or copy what was popular around me. For a long time, that made me question whether I was doing things the ‘right’ way. Being in California has reminded me that sometimes the thing that makes you feel like an outsider somewhere else is exactly the thing people appreciate about you here.So I guess where I am today is somewhere between chapters. I have been tattooing for more than twelve years, I have built a studio, closed a studio, worked across Europe and the U.S., and I am still figuring out what the next version of all of this looks like.And honestly, I like that.I am much less interested now in having everything planned out than I used to be. I care more about doing work I believe in, meeting interesting people, staying curious, and putting myself in situations where I can still be surprised.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road. I think most of the difficult parts came from trying to build something on my own without really knowing what the next step was supposed to be. Running a studio, dealing with business problems, unreliable situations, financial pressure, and at the same time trying to stay creative can wear you down pretty quickly.
The hardest lesson for me was probably learning when to keep pushing and when to let something go. I spent years building my studio in Brno, so closing that chapter was difficult, but it also forced me to rethink what success actually means to me.
There were plenty of moments when I questioned whether I was going in the right direction, but looking back, most of the things that felt like setbacks eventually pushed me somewhere new. I am still learning not to fight every change and to trust that sometimes losing one version of your life makes space for a better one.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a tattoo artist, and my work is mostly focused on color, watercolor, realism, portraits, and dynamic compositions. I like tattoos that have movement and energy instead of feeling too static or overly polished.
I am probably best known for combining realism with a looser, more expressive use of color. I also do a lot of cover-ups, which I enjoy because they force you to think differently and solve problems creatively.
What I am most proud of is that over the years I have developed a style that feels like mine. I never wanted to simply follow trends or fit perfectly into one category. I think what sets me apart is that I approach every tattoo more like a composition than just an image, how it flows with the body, where the contrast is, what should be detailed, and what should be left loose.
For me, the goal is always to make something that feels alive and personal, not just technically correct.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The biggest lesson for me came from this past year and closing my studio after almost six years.
For a long time, I thought strength meant holding on, pushing harder, and somehow making things work no matter what. This year taught me that sometimes the stronger move is to let go.
Closing the studio was difficult because I had invested so much time, energy, money, and identity into it. But once it was over, I realized that losing something does not always mean you failed. Sometimes it just means that chapter did what it was supposed to do. I think I care much less now about forcing things to work and much more about whether they actually feel right. That shift has probably been the most important lesson of my journey so far.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: bratr_vira
