David Terrazas Cochabamba / Bolivia facebook: david terrazas instagram: david_terrazas.tattoo tik tok: davidterrazas.tattoo
Why did you choose this style?
The style I enjoy the most is color surrealism because it allows me to flow and connect with what I am feeling at the moment of creation. I love being able to combine real and imaginary elements, playing with shapes and contrasts so that the piece transmits a genuine emotion. Through color, I can capture on the skin what is in my mind, trying to give each tone an intention and create balance. Surrealism gives me that freedom to express myself without limits, to tell stories, and to leave a piece of myself in every tattoo.
What was the process like to reach your peak performance?
I feel like I am still far from reaching my peak performance, but throughout these years, I have truly enjoyed always being open to learning.
What were your first steps in art?
I believe art has always been in my life. My earliest memories are from when I was a child and I would draw wherever I could—in notebooks and even on the walls. It was something I enjoyed immensely. At 16, I briefly attended the Raúl G. Prada School of Fine Arts. After years of studying a different university major, I changed my path in 2019. During a chat with a tattoo artist friend named Luis Bastos, he asked me why I hadn't thought about tattooing if I loved drawing so much. That question flipped a switch in my mind. A few weeks later, I bought a tattoo machine and started tattooing my friends and family. I always remember the first people who trusted me and made me feel safe during that process, especially my older brother Mauricio, who was key to my learning and gaining experience in the beginning. Later, through a friend, I joined the "América Tattoo" studio in 2021, and that completely changed the way I viewed tattooing. Meeting such talented and focused artists served as inspiration and motivation to try to go far. Jhinno Aroni and the entire América Tattoo family were key to expanding my horizons and allowing me to have tattooing as a way of life today.
What is your relationship with your team? How do they influence your day-to-day life?
América Tattoo is my family, and I have learned so much from them—not just tattooing techniques and styles, but also about life. Over the last four years, my team has become a safe space where I can be myself, find motivation, or get support. I don't know exactly what the next step is or where life will take me, but working with them has been and continues to be one of the most enriching experiences of my career. My routine is almost always the same: I arrive at the studio mid-morning, and while I set things up, I listen to music and laugh. This environment has allowed many clients to become part of the family, and they return not just for the tattoo, but to keep laughing and sharing moments with us.
What value do you place on seminars? How would you describe those moments?
For me, investing in knowledge is very important. I haven't had the fortune of attending many seminars, but I consider tattoo conventions to serve that purpose too. They are places where you can see other ways of tattooing, different techniques and styles, as well as distinct perspectives. It is like taking many seminars at once. I believe that sharing experiences among tattoo artists is what allows us to improve and grow together, thereby taking Bolivian art to the next level.
What are your future goals?
My main goal is to take my realism and color surrealism to the next level, turning each piece into a pictorial artwork on the skin. I want every tattoo to have identity, emotion, and a narrative, not just technique, and to develop my own artistic language. I want to keep participating in conventions abroad, collaborate with artists from different cultures, take Bolivia's name further within the tattoo world, and position myself as a Latin American reference in contemporary realism. In the long term, my goal is to leave a mark—for my work to inspire other artists, to represent Bolivian effort and talent, and to stand as a testament that tattooing can be as deep and transcendent as any other artistic discipline.
Do you have any activities outside the world of tattooing?
Currently, I don't have many activities outside of tattooing. I try to spend time with my girlfriend Camila and my cat Pancho, and stay focused on tattooing. A few months ago, we had a team activity where on Fridays we would form soccer teams with clients or tattooists from other studios for matches. Unfortunately, I suffered a complicated fracture that sidelined me from sports for a few months. Recently, I discovered something that clears my mind and that I enjoy very much: running. Simple as that. Running while listening to music has become one of my favorite activities.
If someone wants to contact you, how can they do it?
You can find me on Instagram as -david_terrazas.tattoo, on Facebook as -David Terrazas, and on TikTok as -@davidterrazas.tattoo.
Any message or dedication you would like to share?
This is dedicated to Cami, who is a pillar in my life, to my family, to the great América Tattoo, and to all my dukesitos who were there from the start and are still here. To the clients who became family, and to all my friends who are out there fighting the good fight: know that it is possible. No matter what you want to dedicate your life to, whatever you do, do it with passion. The key is to work hard for what you want, and you can be sure it will be worth it. From Quillacollo to the world. Here we are, and we will stay focused, with more desire to learn than ever.
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