Jessica “Hammarn” Sörensson, started her tattoo career in Germany, she is loud, she laughs loud and is an over all great person.

Where are you from?

I come from a small farmerstown in Sweden called Skänninge, but I’ve lived and worked in Stockholm since 2011.

How long have you been a tattoo artist? And how did you get started?

I started a classcial apprenticeship in a shop in Germany in 2009. Started coming in with my portfolio and it took about 5 months before they took me in. The first year I cleaned the shop and the tubes, sterilized, bought supplies, answered the phone, made coffee, made stencils, built the station etc etc. All the shitwork, haha! Seems like no one does it that way anymore, the old way. I worked three days at the shop, three days at my regular work and Sundays at a pub.

The first 6 months after I started starting tattooing, I could only use the workstation once every week, which I didn’t think was enough. So I set up a workstation at home and tattooed customers from the local bar where I worked Sundays. After a year I worked full time at the tattoo shop tho. And that’s pretty much how I got started.

If there was only one record you could listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I usually say Sandinista with The Clash, because it has so many different kinds of music styles on it. You’ll never get bored. Even the shitty songs turn good in the end.

Do you have a special style of tattoos that you like too do? And are they called something?

I started out from old school, but I don’t feel that I do very traditional work. It is definitely what inspired me tho. Mainly color work. I try to do most things, mixing it up can be healthy too.

What is your best memory from tattooing?

I think it was when I got my first color tattoo. I was 18 and got some roses on my arm. When he started to fill out the green in the leaves I just felt such a kick. I’M TURNING GREEN!!’ I kept thinking. It was the coolest thing ever.

What’s your worst?

My first and only misspelled tattoo. Making mistakes is always hard. Everything sort of floats together through the years but that was hard. The self-doubt I felt the first years tattooing was definelty terrible, but I know now that you have to make mistakes to develop.

What was the last gift you got from some one?

My landlord gave me a air filter for the kitchen fan – free of charge!! Ka-ching!

Do you have a favorite tattoo convention in Sweden?

I haven’t been to any other convention in Sweden than Stockholm and Linköping, so I can’t really say. I have favorites. Abroad I like the convention in Brighton tho, been there twice.

Do you have any tattoo artists that you look up to?

I used to have that, but now I can simply just say that there are a lot of good ones out there.

Are there any Swedish tattoo artist you would like me to interview?

Frej Lind from Västerås and Martin from Lucky 7 in Norrköping

Where do you get your creativity from?

Mainly music, nature and mental issues

What would you say is some do’s and don’ts in the studio?

Never startle the tattooer? Always pay your way. Don’t pee on the toilet seat. Pay attention, be humble. There are many answers to this question depending on who you’re addressing.

Whats the best of being a tattoo artist?

For me personally, is that I control my schedule. I can decide how much I like to work, which is a necessity for me mentally. But of course, working with something creative is for me equally important. And to make people happy.

Where do you work now? And where are you located?

Now I work at Queendom Crew Tattoo Studio, located by Zinkendsdamm in Stockholm.

Thanks for being apart of the Swedish tattoo society