College and his studio keeps Karthik Bhushan on his toes all the time. The 19-year-old is a talented tattoo artist. He is pursuing BA in journalism and communication at Manipal Institute of Communications, Manipal. Bhushan is the youngest tattoo artist in the country, according to the Limca Book of Records.
Bhushan runs Maniac, a tattoo shop along with his cousin Aditya and friend Amith. “After my Class 12, I went to Thailand and learnt tattoo designing for five months. Initially, my family was sceptical, but after constant assurance, they gave a confident nod,” says Bhushan.
Despite the taboo on tattoo-designing, Karthik has still managed to woo a sizable clientele who are aged between 17 and late 30s. “I was stunned when a mother of two approached me and asked to ink some trendy design,” he recollects. Bhushan charges `1,500 upwards, depending on the designs. He is in college from 9am to 5pm and then rushes to his studio to create tattoos till 10 pm.
“I was fond of tattoos from Class seven. Tattoo is my passion and my BA course is my best friend,” he adds. He has also written stories for children and poems. Bhushan is inspired by Bob Tyrrell, one of the pioneers in tattoo designing and aims to be a top tattoo artist,
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