Jennifer Russo

When Wes Ryan decided to open his first tattoo studio, it was out of a desire to do things his way, providing for the people of the city he grew up in a place to express themselves through art. Whether a small wrist tattoo, a full sleeve, or epic backpiece, his main goal was to help people feel as welcomed and as comfortable as possible, while also creating the environment that he wanted to work in for himself and his team.

“Honestly, the work vibe here is great – it’s the best place I have ever worked, we have fun and love being here,” shares Mali, one of the shop artists.

With a firm belief that pretentiousness has no place in a tattoo shop, and that great customer service is always the first priority, Wes and his artists have been very successful and have a loyal following. Now with an added location in downtown Worcester, Evil Eye Tattoo is accessible to even more people across the city. Located in the Midtown Mall building, which has been going through a transformation itself, Wes felt the location had a lot of promise, being near Worcester Common, the Palladium, the DCU Center and many great businesses.

People walking by will immediately notice the gorgeous black and red graffiti style murals on the walls of the shop, painted by fellow tattoo and graffiti artist Brian Soldano. A sleek, modern look, with plush sofas and chairs, is designed for both comfort and visual impact.

“I have always been into graffiti art myself – it was what I did most of the time before I joined the industry. About 7 years ago I picked up a tattoo machine and really fell in love with it. I worked on it for a while and was hired by a local shop where I learned a lot – both the great things about the industry and some things I knew I wanted to avoid when I opened my own place. It’s always been very clear to me that the energy and vibe you get when you walk in is critical – it should be about the art and helping the customer with what they want. We are professional and take our jobs very seriously but, at the same time, we are easygoing and don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Wes.

Having several tattoos, I can say that it is so important to have tattoo artists that take what your vision is and help you understand how that will work with your particular body and skin, for example allowing enough “white space” in open work to account for the definition of the piece and considering how it ages. A good artist will inform clients of things like this. Evil Eye has you covered there, they will work with anyone to talk through what it is they want and give them all the guidance they need to make a beautiful and standout piece.

So why the name Evil Eye? There is a little bit of a back story there.

“Like many other people, I made some decisions in my earlier life that weren’t the best ones, but I got through that because I considered what kind of future I wanted. There was a lot of negativity in that life and I wanted to move forward. I really started believing in the law of attraction – taking on a different mindset and manifesting what you want through positive thinking. My mom used to always tell me to ‘think positive’ and I never understood how that could make a difference in your life, but it really does. The evil eye goes hand in hand with that ideology.”

Historically, the evil eye was used and worn as a protective symbol. It has been around for thousands of years and is meant to deflect negative energy caused by others’ jealousy and ill intentions. At a time when he was really seeing clearly who in his life was in his corner, and who wasn’t, Wes felt it was the perfect name for his new business.

With artists that specialize in different tattooing styles, from neo-traditional to realism, etching to watercolor, blackwork and more – there is someone at Evil Eye who can help you realize the vision you have for the art going onto your skin.

For people who are thinking about getting their first tattoo, there can be some nervousness around choosing that right thing or what it is going to feel like. The artists do understand this and aim to create the most comfortable environment they can for their clients. 

“It’s funny because some people find that the “pain” associated with tattooing isn’t as much as they had built it up in their heads to be,” says Wes. “If it is a real worry or someone has a very low tolerance, but really wants the art, there are some numbing agents that we can use.”

Evil Eye covers several external conventions and events and recently worked at Incarceration Festival, a 3-day music event which took place at the same prison where Shawshank Redemption was filmed. They are looking forward to getting their name out there even more and blending art and community together. Whether you’re almost covered in ink or entirely new to the world of tattooing, this new shop is set to become a fan-favorite in our quickly evolving Worcester scene.

The grand opening for Evil Eye is on September 15^th, though they are open prior to that date. It will be a great event, so be sure to stop by to meet the artists and check out the new place. Be sure to follow them for more information.

Evil Eye Tattoo’s second location is open at the Midtown Mall at 22 Front Street in Worcester and is currently open for walk ins and scheduled appointments from 12 PM to 8 PM every day aside from Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Their original location can be found at 1275 Grafton Street and hours can be found online. Learn more about their tattoo services and artists on their website at www.evileyetattooshop.com or follow them on Instagram at @_evileyetattoo_

View examples of Evil Eye Tattoo artists’ work at: 

Wes Ryan – @wesryanink 

Eric Simonson – @ext.inked

Jazmin Rodriguez – @artsy_creations2

Aaron Ortiz – @alo.508

Taylor Stuart – @taylors.tats

Mali – @inkbymali

Steven Hargrove – @cityboiink