About the artist
The artist
Custom tattoo artist based in Guanacaste. Every piece is a collaboration between your story and his technique.
The story
Javier Mena came to Guanacaste chasing an idea and stayed for what he found. Santa Cruz stopped being a place he was passing through and became home: this is where he went all in on art, and where he learned the craft — with the discipline good tattooing demands and the patience it takes to keep at it every day.
Drawing came first. As a kid he watched artists from all over the world at work, and that is where his way of reading a piece comes from: study the anatomy, adjust the composition, never repeat a design that already lives on someone else's skin.
Five years on, he still practices with the same hunger: to be his best version, and for it to show on the client's skin. Black and grey realism, blackwork and large-scale pieces pushed a little further every session, with certified biosafety and a design built for whoever sits in the chair.
Specialties
- Black and grey realism
- Blackwork
- Large pieces: backs and sleeves
- Lettering
Certifications
- Biosafety and sterilization handling
- First aid
- Good hygiene practices in tattooing
Creative process
Every design starts with a conversation. We listen to your idea, research references and propose a composition designed for your anatomy. We don't tattoo until the design fully represents you.