Rising Stars: Meet Noeko

Today we’d like to introduce you to Noeko.

Hi Noeko, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Noeko and I am a hand lettering and calligraphy artist and tattoo artist based in Orlando. I love all types of lettering but specialize in dark and gothic styles. I got my start working as a graphic designer at a pro photo studio, building custom logos and marketing materials. I also do large scale mural work for both residential and commercial spaces. I am originally from a small farm town in Nebraska and moved here three years ago. My fiancé and I share a private studio in Lake Mary where she does hair and I tattoo. We have two cats, a dog, and a hamster and are usually (pre covid) very active in local markets all over the area. We have a custom clothing company called Shredded Dreams and spend a lot of time together working on that when we aren’t in the studio. When I’m not at the studio or drawing, I spend my time reading, playing Xbox, and building miniatures.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has definitely been a bumpy one, but I think every artist has to go through that. Coming from such a small town where access to art and different people was definitely a challenge. I spent a lot of my time once I got a little older driving all over the country, trying to experience as much as I could. I love to drive and will basically drive anywhere that my little Hyundai can take me. I struggled to find my “style” as most artists do, but once I had sat down with myself and actually put thought into what kind of art I wanted to make, I realized I just wanted a way to put my emotions on paper and if other people liked it, that would just be a bonus. I had always been drawn to words and lettering and I studied and researched until I started to find a way to create something that felt like “me.”

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a mainly lettering-only artist, both in my drawings and in my tattoos but I do branch out and do some blackwork and gothic style pieces once in a while. In the past year, I have had the honor of creating a few big mural pieces for different tattoo shops around the country and I have found that I absolutely love doing them. I never thought of myself being a mural painter, but I did one and I was hooked. I am honestly just proud of my journey and the fact that I get to create art every day for a living. I think my motivation and work ethic have been the reasons for where I am today. If you ask my fiancé or any of my friends, they will all tell you that they don’t think I have an “off” button. I just absolutely love what I do and I always strive to be a better artist and person tomorrow than I am today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’m not much of a believer in luck. I think that life has to be full of both positives and negatives to keep us balanced. When you make it through the bad times, it makes the good times even better. However, I am extremely clumsy and uncoordinated most days, so I call myself unlucky in that respect frequently.

Contact Info:

• Email: noekoart@gmail.com
• Website: www.noekoart.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/__noeko__

Image Credits
Varied Photography