Riana S.

Aiea, HI

I'll be reviewing Joel Albanez, who is a part of the Soul Signature family.

For awhile now, I've been looking to do a tattoo that was all pinay, Filipina style. The hard part was finding a tattoo artist that would do traditional Filipino tribal. After seeing some work done by Joel and hearing great stories by a couple of my friends, it validated my decision to get tattooed by him. Since he lives in California, he comes to Hawaii often, but it's important to set your appointment early on and keep following up.

At first I wasn't sure what to expect because each of Joel's pieces are different and unique. I told him that I wanted it strictly Filipino and to have symbols and signs of crops because my grandparents were farmers and Damili pots because that's what my mom's hometown in the Philippines was known for.

His space is clean and he has great vibes, which is very comforting. I already knew anyone who was a part of Soul Signature was professional so I had already trusted him from the beginning. 

He first drew free-hand on my back with some markers, and I was so happy with what he drew up. 

It was painful, like all tattoos, especially since this was on my spine.

His lines were so straight, and the tattoo design itself was flawless and clean. It wasn't anything too crazy either because I'm a huge minimalist. I love how I identify with this tattoo, like it's been way overdue to get it.

I felt like I really did get a 'soul signature' tattoo. Thank you Joel!