Artists shouldn’t be gauged by the length of time they’ve been practiced. Instead, they should be gauged by how much they’ve progressed. Thus is the case with Andy Pho, with only four years under his belt, Andy has developed a skill set which rivals those decades into the game. In turn he has also created a portfolio of art and tattoos which has amassed him a comprehensive local following of tattoo collectors from Las Vegas – as well as all throughout North America.
Trained by Robert Pho, Andy moved to Las Vegas after completing formal art school training back in NY. It was there he practiced a multidisciplinary curriculum which included sculpting, painting, and drawing in both charcoal and pencil mediums. In his younger years, he found himself constantly drawing – while struggling with dead end jobs – and that’s when his passion would finally come to fruition. After a few years, he decided to formulate a way to make art into his livelihood and that’s when his brother, Robert, said, “If you move out here, I’ll train you.” Needless to say, it was a few weeks later and Andy was packed and ready to relocate to Las Vegas, NV, and the rest is history in the making.
While he likes to specialize in the weird and quirky, Andy has quickly established himself as a tattoo artist known for his animal portraits. His attention to detail in each of his pieces has created tattoos which are life-like and compelling. While he’s no stranger to any medium (whether it be black and gray tattoos or color pieces) he does admit that it’s the aforementioned “weird and quirky” pieces that stimulate his brain.
When asked about what he loves most about tattoos, his response was an unwavering truth, “I love tattoos because it’s a patience process. You simply can’t get it all in one shot and in the end, the client has to sacrifice comfort to get the ultimate pleasure. In short, there is no other art that is as personal or permanent.” He further adds, “When it comes to art, it’s one thing to have someone trust you with their walls to hang art, but it’s a whole other responsibility and honor to have them trust you with their skin.”
