Zayä Kai’s journey so far is an extensive one with all its colourful twists and turns – from studying Fine Arts at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, hosting Open Mic Nights in London and forming multiple bands, to now owning a private studio in the picturesque Laines in Brighton as one of the most famous tattoo artists in the UK. We sat down with the artistic powerhouse to walk down the memory lane of her career, chat all things painting and more, and explore the many outlets and sources of creativity she has found in life.
“In February of 2020, I was in India doing my yoga teacher training when lockdown happened, and I was forced to go home early. I fell pregnant and had so much time on my hands, as I couldn’t see clients because of the restrictions. I hadn’t painted for years, since university, and was persuaded to start again whilst in the beautiful ‘no time, no space’ bubble of the first pregnancy, before all the chaos,”, Kai remembers the way she got back into painting after years of tattooing being at the forefront of her mind and life. “Creativity oozed out of me, like a flowing river. I felt that whilst birthing a baby, I wanted to birth so many creative projects simultaneously, such as crocheting baby flares and building ceramics! It was a really fun time, and such a blessing to have my tattoos following along on the ride with me for support.” And it was those very same tattoos that originally put Kai in the spotlight of an industry that has new artists joining the ranks almost every day. Counting them all, there must be thousands of bodies that she has left her personal mark on so far with her intricate and always breathtakingly beautiful little pieces of art, with each having its own special story. Looking at them, you’d never guess that tattooing was never the primary career choice, as Kai explains: “Tattooing came after painting and music. On a whim, I got an apprenticeship in Streatham and had no idea it would take off in the way it did. I was very lucky with Instagram at the time, and many trusting people to practice on, that my career grew at a completely unexpected pace! Because of this, tattooing kind of took the foreground in my focus for over seven years, before I eventually found my way back to my original love of painting and singing.”
Since then, Kai has been seamlessly jumping between those three creative outlets, always making sure to leave space for the other and knowing when it’s time to move to a new project. “I’m a fairly spontaneous and changeable person, so I just flow in between each medium whenever the wind so takes me,”, the artist exclaims while highlighting the differences of all three. “Tattooing mainly feels like work these days, although it’s a very blessed career in which I can still find daily inspiration. Painting feels like therapy and takes me out of my busy mind, into the present moment in which I just have to react to and ‘solve’ the compositional or colour problem in front of me, to make a complete piece that feels harmonious. Finally, music flows occasionally to pinpoint a certain time or story in my life, expressing feelings in a very cathartic manner and being able to use my words.” For some, this may seem like a slightly chaotic, or let’s say unstructured way of living and working, compared to the very strict work-life balance we have all become so accustomed to with all its rules and regulations. For Zayä, however, it’s exactly that freedom and glittery mash of things that she has always searched for and craved: “I’ve always said confidently I would never do a typical 9-5 job. My nature is so changeable and spontaneous that I needed a suitably vibrant and creative career! I really never had a clear vision for my future, but I’ve always believed in myself and been a strong manifestor – I kept plodding along with acts that bring me joy, and believed that the money would follow where passion and love were. I believe that’s the key to ‘work’.”
Turns out, Kai was just on the right path, as she was able to open her own studio earlier this year in the lively North Laines in Brighton, where she also lives with her two children. It’s something she always strived for, as she exclaims excitedly: “It’s quite honestly a dream come true. I didn’t consider how it would feel to tattoo in a space that feels like ‘me’. For ten years, I’ve inhabited tattoo shops owned by men in a style quite different to my own. It’s liberating to create tattoos underneath my paintings, and have my clients experience that side of me; it’s such a talking point. And the art studio side of it excites me the most, having somewhere to get messy and explore, with loud music on and a cup of coffee in hand.”
Walking into the studio – after being greeted by a giant spray-painted lion on the iron front door – it’s instantly recognisable that it is Kai through and through: open brickwork, multi-pane windows, plants everywhere, a kitchen area she built all by herself, and, of course, her pastel-coloured paintings draping themselves across the walls. It’s endless creativity and the feeling of “home” that envelops everyone Kai welcomes into her world, a safe space for anyone who needs it as much as for herself. And that is especially important – and, unfortunately, sometimes still rather rare – in a field that so intimately celebrates the human form, especially for women. Who, coincidentally but unsurprisingly, are also one of Kai’s main sources of inspiration, as she shares: “It’s women and nature. Having children has solidified my amazement at the female form and anatomy, how unbelievably strong and resilient they can be, whilst holding such a softness. I see so many parallels between the female body in nature – the plumpness of skin like a peony bud, sweat beads like dew on grass, stretch marks like vines or animal patterns. Most of my colour palettes are taken from nature, too. I remember fondly in Portugal the time of the evening when the moon and sun were like lovers in the sky, and pale blue sits so harmoniously next to soft orange. I see this also in Brighton with the iridescent blue sea next to the setting sun or street lamps.”
It’s exactly that love for her surroundings – whether that’s the people in her life or the flowers in the garden – and for her work that has pushed Zayä to the forefront of the creative industries. Whether it’s her paintings on someone else’s walls, her tattoos on people’s skin, or her songs in a stranger’s playlist, Kai’s art continues to make its mark – and for her, that is what it’s all about: “If I have touched someone’s life in a positive way, or brought beauty, confidence or happiness to them, then I’ve done my job right. Connecting with my clients and followers, or friends, might I say, is the reason I keep creating and sharing. My only strategy for the future is to keep myself and my work unfiltered and honest. I want people to relate to me because they see themselves within me, and know that I’ve shared their pain and their joy.”
Written by Laura Weingrill // photography by Louisa Wilkie & Lydia Collins
GEM Magazine 