09/21/2026
This is, without a doubt, the most difficult portrait I have ever tattooed in my professional career.
The young man in this portrait was my girlfriend’s cousin, Robin Bouza, whose life was tragically taken this year in a criminal incident that has left an entire family carrying a pain that words cannot fully describe.
From the very beginning, this piece felt different.
It wasn’t simply about recreating a face from a photograph. I knew Robin personally. I knew the family. I understood that behind this tattoo was a father grieving the loss of his son, a family trying to find strength through unimaginable pain, and emotions that were very personal to me as well.
That is why I took this project to heart from the moment I was given the opportunity to create it.
As tattoo artists, we are often asked to create something permanent. But sometimes, what we are really being trusted with is something much deeper—a memory, a story, a person someone never wants to forget.
Being able to contribute my art to preserving Robin’s memory for his father is something I consider a true honor.
A tattoo cannot replace someone we have lost. It cannot take away the pain or change what happened. But perhaps, in some small way, art can bring a little light into a moment of darkness. It can keep a face close, preserve a memory, and give someone a piece of comfort they can carry with them forever.
For me, this piece will always mean more than just the tattoo itself.
It represents love, loss, family, memory, and the responsibility we have as artists when someone trusts us with something so deeply personal.
Rest in peace, Robin Bouza. 🕊️
You will never be forgotten.
