Ben Sklar/Redux
A brief chat with JonBoy, tattoo artist to the likes of Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, Justin Bieber, and more.
You might know Jonathan Valena as the guy who tattooed Justin Bieber's face. The pop star dropped into Bang Bang Tattoo in New York City one evening in 2016, and asked for a tiny cross near the corner of his eye, which took just a few seconds. Bieber's fans freaked out; Bieber loved it, so Valena was cool.
Known professionally as JonBoy, his client list includes the likes of Kendall Jenner, Travis Scott, Zayn Malik, and Hailey Baldwin, who were all drawn to the ultra-minimal microtattoos Valena has become known for. He's been a tattoo artist for 18 years, and now, he's releasing his first signature product line of clothes timed to Coachella: a gender-neutral capsule which will feature a lighter, biker shorts, long-sleeve tees, fanny packs, and bandanas. "For me, knowing that I'm going to be at Coachella this year, it was an opportunity to finally work on some merchandise," he said. "I just started thinking, What would I want to rock at Coachella? What are my essentials? That's how I came up with the items." (The products will launch exclusively on the Frenzy App on Friday, April 13th at 2 P.M. ET.)
Recently, we caught up with JonBoy to talk about his inspirations, stealing all you can eat shrimp at Sizzler, tattooing celebrities, and his Gucci addiction.
GQ: So Gucci is a huge thing for you.
JonBoy: I'm obsessed. I got into Gucci as a young kid. Being Filipino, one of my mom's biggest purchases was a Gucci bag. I remember just rocking that Gucci bag. It's a status thing in our culture that if you're rocking Gucci or Louis Vuitton, you made it. We definitely didn't make it though. We were poor. I remember going to Sizzler and we would stuff that Gucci bag with all-you-can-eat Shrimp so we could eat all day.
I rocked Gucci for awhile during the Tom Ford era, then it got stale and I forgot about it. Then I started seeing this tattoo imagery being used on Gucci pieces, and I was like what's going on, and found out about Alessandro Michele and it was awesome, that's what turned me on to the new collections. I was like, I gotta have it, and I got obsessed with it again.
For me, it's also like a lifestyle, like what's Gucci, life's Gucci, like life's cool, life's chill. I think Kanye said that. It's everything. It's not just fashion, it's about the art, and bringing in artists who are creative.
I've read you are a bit of a hoarder too.
Yeah man. I love to hunt. I love walking into antique stores and finding those little things that you can never find, like old accessories, lighters, ice trays, or whatever is out there. I have a bit of a problem [laughs].
What's something you recently picked up?
I've got these old Gucci keychains, these cool Gucci pens, this old Gucci monogrammed umbrella. I really don't know what I'm going to do with it. It's just sitting there. I just picked up a Tom Ford era Gucci bomber. I don't' know. It's a good question.
You have too much.
Not enough, not enough Gucci. I've got a luggage, and my dog, he uses it as a bed. Yeah, okay I got too much Gucci.
"I had a client the other day, her dog just died, and I was sad all day. I was like, fuck man, why am I so mad? It's not even my dog."
You talk about the thrill of hunting for stuff, what about the thrill you get from being a tattoo artist?
What is satisfying is the reaction I get from clients, when they look in the mirror, and this little tattoo has so much meaning to them.
People think because it's a small tattoo, it's not a real tattoo, but some of the smallest tattoos have the most meaning behind them. I go home feeling so drained and exhausted. I feel like I carry the weight of these clients and what they're going through, whether they're dealing with a death or whatever it may be. It sticks to me.
Sometimes my clients become my really good friends. I just get really excited. I feel like it's my purpose. I help play a role in a person's journey and I get to be a part of it by marking it with something permanent. It feels good to wake up everyday and be like, man, people want to get tattooed by me. Because I do small tattoos, I get to see a few number of clients per day, I get to hear their stories. It's a special bond that happens. I had a client the other day, her dog just died, and I was sad all day. I was like, fuck man, why am I so mad? It's not even my dog.
Does earning the trust of these celebrities make you feel validated?
I think it's just being in the right place at the right time, being in New York and Los Angeles, that's where a lot of celebrities reside, and I just got lucky. I think my validity comes from knowing that I can do a great tattoo and people are going to be stoked about it. I've been doing this for 18 years and that's where I find my confidence.
Of course, being someone that tattoos a celebrity, it does makes me feel like I can be trusted. I'm starting to understand they have very tight circles for a reason, because everyone just wants to be in their business, and they just want to live their life. They're regular people too.
For them to be like, yo, we trust that you're not going to exploit us, you're going to be chill with us and not act all weird, it means something I keep it chill, but of course, inside, I'm like, this is super cool.
It's an honor, and there's a reason why they're celebrities. They work hard at what they do. That's why they have that platform. But yeah, I feel like what's cool is that it doesn't matter who you are, I'm going to treat you the same. That's just how I do business, I keep it professional and treat people like gold, because those are the people that are investing in you.
What did your family say when you got your first tattoo?
My family discouraged it. They hated my grandfather's rose tattoo, even though it was for my grandmother. I thought it was the coolest thing. I thought my grandfather was the coolest dude and I wanted to be like him. But I saw how my family and how other people would look at him when he was showing off his tattoo.
I was attracted to the rebellious side of getting a tattoo. I was a punk kid who didn't care and wanted to rebel. I was like, man, I'm going to get a tattoo because you guys hate it. In college, when I was in seminary, everyone was like, I don't think that's right, I don't think God would approve of that, it says it in the Bible. I was like, you guys are reading it out of context, I feel like it's okay, it's a reminder of my faith, why would God hate on that. I need an every day reminder of who I am and who he is.
It was just one of those things, that particular day, I was like, I'm ready to get a tattoo. I knew if I didn't get one that day, I would have never gotten a tattoo. I went to the first shop, they were booked. I went to the second shop, they were booked. I walked into this biker-style tattoo shop, and the guy was like, have a seat. I was like, can I put on my music. He was like, nah, and he kept the Pantera on.
I got a tribal armband. That was my first tattoo. I was like, Yo, can I get one of those Pamela Anderson armbands, instead of a barb wire but with a crown of thorns because this is for Jesus. I was trying to justify it, right. I remember sitting there and he drew it right on.
There's a reason why with this new merchandise collection I wanted to use the tribal motif. That's where tattoos come from. It's part of my roots. It's part of where tattooing comes from. I've always wanted to stay true to that. No matter what kind of tattoos I do, I want to make sure I always respect where I come from and the people that have helped pave the way.
Why did you choose those specific accessories for your collection?
These are things that I rock. I carry a lighter everyday. I wear a dust mask to work everyday when I'm tattooing. I own so many fanny packs at home. I just felt like it made sense. It was something that people would be able to use in their everyday life. The windbreaker, the shorts, for me, that's my taste, that's what I rock. I'm going to put something out that I would wear, and I hope that other people will follow too.
What kind of music were you into growing up?
My first concert was Metallica when I was 14. I was a big raver when I was younger. That was my scene. In the early 2000s, when I was getting tattooed, music played a huge role in terms of inspiring me. Other than my grandfather, those were the people that I was looking at. They were rock stars, they had cool-ass ink, and I wanted to be like that. That's what got me into full sleeves and neck tattoos because I saw rockers with them. Fast forward to today, and seeing people like G-Eazy, Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, and I get to see them and support them and tattoo them in my chair, it's really neat. These people have influenced me in how I approach tattoos. It's inspiring.
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