How Dayi Novas' Identity as "The Art Kid" Propelled Her to a Career in Tattoo Artistry
"Being able to generate beautiful, unique images that stick in people’s minds is something I’m very proud of"
This August, we shine the spotlight on three up-and-coming creatives — Keyana, Qualeasha Wood and Dayi Novas — who have taken their respective fields by storm.
Based in New York City, Asian-American artist Dayi Novas (recognised in the community as just “Dayi”) has grown quite an extensive clientele in the short period of time she’s been tattooing, amassing over 33.7k followers on her Instagram account since she entered the profession after quitting her job at a design firm just three years ago.
Now, Dayi’s name is tied to two projects she holds dear to her heart: OUCH! Magazine, a ”colourful, joyful children’s zine for grown-ups” that anyone can submit pieces for, and OUCH! Tattoos — spunky tattoos that the artist puts her transferable skills for design into.
A true creative at heart, Dayi also spends her free time writing stories and poetry, making animations, creating and selling chunky earrings, hand-binding books, illustrating, and designing typefaces.
How did you first get into tattoo artistry? Was it always something you thought you’d pursue as a career?
I actually didn’t have any interest in tattoos until after I graduated from college. Like many other first-generation kids, I grew up in an extremely traditional household, where the intactness of the body was valued. My original plan was to become a typeface designer. I worked for a design firm for a year after graduating but quit in June 2020 and promised to never work under another person again. I’d rather starve than have a boss.
I went to another Chinese artist for my first tattoo in December 2020 and the process felt so transformative that I was hooked! I started tattooing in April 2020.
Describe the style you specialise in. Do tattoo enthusiasts associate this as your signature in the community?
I have so many different signature styles! I love making silly child-like scribble drawings, capturing the essence of something in a quick gesture. I also have a more delicate realistic style that I normally use to render animals and food. Sometimes I do textural, “crunchy” drawings that resemble rock collisions or ocean waves. Then also, my favourite, the brushstroke style where I use a single needle cartridge to imitate an ink brush, with many lively bristles and ink splotches. My background in type design (using vectors to draw up forms seemingly made by chisel, brush or pen) has helped in my freehand brushstrokes.
I do believe my tattoos are recognisable and it’s always so encouraging to hear when clients or enthusiasts tell me they spotted a tattoo by me on the streets.
Do you add a personal touch to your designs? What do they tend to look like?
My personal touch, in my opinion, is just a bit of oddness of form. An extra third antennae or extremely long legs for insects, embedded hearts in the smoke on matches, a hidden form at the centre of strawberries, or a green tiger.
As a young tattoo artist, have you had to work doubly hard to prove yourself? Were you encouraged by other tattoo professionals or were you undermined on your journey to where you’re at now?
All in all, the Asian tattoo community in NYC is quite warm and welcoming, especially to newcomers with a DIY mindset. I am lucky! I’ve heard about other communities in other cities gatekeeping or even bullying aspiring Asian tattoo artists. The tattooing community in NYC is especially encouraging on social media and in real life. I inserted myself by organising a big dinner at the end of my first year of tattooing and the community felt so warm and special; we were able to share common experiences regarding shop tactics, client issues and technique troubleshooting.
I am also confident in my drawing talents and have a stubborn “you can’t tell me what I can’t do” personality so if anyone did try to tear me down, I would just laugh.
How has your career in tattoo artistry shaped the person you are today?
It has definitely made me more confident in general. Financially, 100 per cent, and also socially, with new people and new friends to make each day! I feel stronger and more mentally stable because my days are so structured. I feel fully in control over my schedule and who I want to interact with.
Would you say your creativity represents a big part of your identity or is it just a subset of it?
Creativity and good design instincts are a huge part of my identity, even more so than being Chinese-American or a cutie pie princess. Being able to generate beautiful, unique images that stick in people’s minds is something I’m very proud of. I was “the art kid” in elementary school and that stayed in my psyche.
Has your perception of beauty changed since pursuing your career in tattoo artistry?
It hasn’t! Beautiful things are beautiful. Tattooing has made me love and appreciate colour on skin even more, if anything. I also just realised that I never used makeup prior to tattooing. I started by getting eyeshadows, then lip stains, and now I have a light-up mirror, and makeup drawers, brush sets, sprays and palettes galore.
Is there a difference in the way you see yourself or others now?
Interacting with so many different people from all sorts of different backgrounds has made me more empathetic, sympathetic and loving. Tattooing is liberation work; I have to be in a mindset of love and care every day. It can be draining some days, but my life feels enriched overall.
Do you have a beauty ritual you rely on to wind down after a long day in the studio?
Yes, I do! Every day I bike home, change into my pyjamas, wash my makeup off, curl up onto the couch with a blanket and a hydrating face mask. I turn my brain and phone off, eat snacks and watch television until my partner comes home. This is also always around the time the sun sets so I’ll often take a ton of selfies in the light as I sit with my jumpscare white face sheet. [laughs] I love to feel beautiful.
