Lokesh Verma is an Indian tattoo artist, who was among the first Indians to tattoo sound waves. He is famous for starting the international tattoo festival ‘Heart Tattoo Festival’ which is considered to be the only international tattoo festival in India. He has several tattoo studios across India and abroad under the name Devil’z Tattooz.
Wiki/Biography
Lokesh Verma was born on Thursday, May 12, 1983 (age 40; in 2023) in Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Taurus. He attended school in Delhi and several other states in India. He pursued his BCom at Sri Aurobindo College, New Delhi. When he was in college, he hardly attended any lectures and often asked his friends to mark his proxy attendance. He later pursued an MBA. From 2001 to 2007, he studied Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS), Design and Applied Arts at Bangalore University, Bengaluru. Later, he did his post-graduation in marketing at Wigan and Leigh College, Bengaluru.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 6″
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Family
Lokesh belongs to a Hindu family.
Parents & Siblings
His father served in the Indian Army and also worked in the security department. His mother is a teacher. He has a sister.
Wife & Children
In 2003, while he was pursuing his MBA, he met a girl named Sanober Ahmed. At first, they became friends and soon, started dating each other. After dating for almost six years, the couple got married in 2010. They have a son together.
Lokesh Verma with his wife
Lokesh Verma with his son
religion
According to his social media profile, he is an atheist.
Address
House
- M-37, 2nd Floor (Above CCD), GK-1, New Delhi 110048
Tattoo Studio
- Shop# 77, 1st floor, Galleria, DLF-IV, Gurgaon 122002, Haryana
- Shop#168, 1st floor, Block B High Street, Vegas Mall, Dwarka, New Delhi 110075
- 142, Boulevard De La Petrusse, 2330, Luxembourg
Career
Fighting Days
When Lokesh was a teenager, his parents worked hard to provide basic amenities for the family. He faced various financial problems and lived in a small one-room flat for many years. His father, who had served in the army, took on side jobs after retirement to support the family. Lokesh’s mother, a teacher, also contributed to meet the necessities of life. In an interview, while talking about it, he said,
Despite their meager income, my parents made sure that my sister and I got proper schooling so that we could have a better future. I was an average student but very passionate about art and would draw everywhere including my school bag and desk too.”
Despite the challenges, Lokesh is determined to create a better future for himself. Since his family’s financial situation was not good, he started working immediately after completing his board exams. His first job involved handing out pamphlets and internet CDs on the streets and doing door-to-door sales in the city. Surprisingly, Lokesh excelled in selling the highest number of CDs in his group, leading to his promotion as team leader. Although he enjoyed some success, Lokesh soon grew tired of the routine of the job and decided to pursue his passion for music. Eventually, he became a DJ. After completing his studies, Lokesh enrolled in an MBA course. He used to attend MBA classes from 8am to 12pm, do his job from 12pm to 7pm, and work as a DJ from 9pm to 12am. To save money to buy his first tattoo machine, Lokesh took another job at a local McDonald’s. During the day, he makes burgers and does various chores, including mopping floors and cleaning toilets. At night, he continues his work as a DJ. With his hard-earned money from odd jobs, he then bought a tattoo machine. In an interview, while talking about it, he said,
I bought the machine and started tattooing on my own body, determined to learn it all. My father was very supportive and offered his skin for me to practice. I was so drawn to this art that I tattooed my friends for free, and was even willing to pay them money sometimes to get a tattoo from me in the first place.
Tattoo Artist
After buying a tattoo machine, he tried his first tattoo on his father. In an interview, he talked about his father’s tattoo. He said,
I always draw skulls and crossbones. I did a big demon on his arm, using one needle…It turned out nice and still going strong.
He then started designing tattoos on his friends without charging a fee. Sometimes, he is even willing to pay them for allowing him to tattoo on their bodies. However, he began to run out of supplies, charging people a fee to cover the cost of getting new supplies. In 2005, his passion for tattooing began to turn into a profession. As more and more people heard about his talent, his friends and acquaintances started lining up to get tattoos from Lokesh between 2003 and 2005. At that time, there were very few professional tattoo studios in Delhi, so Lokesh used to work as best he could. friend’s house Later, he moved to a small salon in Vasant Vihar. In 2008, Lokesh opened his first tattoo studio called Devil’z Tattooz in GK1.
Devil’z Tattoo
Later, in 2013, he added another studio branch in Gurgaon, and in 2021, he opened a studio branch in Dwarka. He also expanded his tattoo studio to Luxembourg. People began to see his amazing work, and he began to receive requests from friends, acquaintances, and eventually clients from all walks of life. Each tattoo allows Lokesh to showcase his talent and make a lasting impression on his clients.
Tattoo collage made by Lokesh Verma
He actively participates in tattoo conventions, workshops, and seminars, where he learns from other famous artists and is constantly updated with the latest trends and techniques.
Lokesh Verma at the seminar
Over the years, Lokesh has taught many people the art of tattooing. He always emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene while teaching others. Lokesh has worked in as many as 15 different countries, and he keeps his studio to strict European standards. In 2010, Lokesh traveled to the United States and Europe to further improve his skills. He has had the privilege of perfecting his art at renowned studios such as Paul Booth’s Last Rites Tattoo Gallery in New York City, Nikko Hurtado’s Black Anchor Tattoo in Hollywood, California, Off the Map in Massachusetts, Tommy Lee’s Monsters, Cologne Tattoo in Germany, Heaven of Colors in Switzerland , and Alex de Pase Tattoo in Italy. Among his famous clients, Lokesh’s first tattoo on a celebrity was choreographer Remo D’Souza, for whom he created a portrait of Jesus.
Lokesh Verma tattooed on Remo D’Souza’s arm
Some of his celebrity clients include Bollywood actors Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhaskar, as well as cricketers Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav. Apart from this, Lokesh is also the co-founder of the Heartwork Tattoo Festival, which is one of the largest tattoo conventions in India.
Pictures of the Heartwork Tattoo Festival
Awards & Achievements
- 2008: Black and Gray (Grand Prize) in the Goa Tattoo Festival
- 2014: Best Male Tattoo Artist Award by Indian Tattoo Awards
Lokesh Verma Award
- 2017: Best Black and Gray (Small) at Goa Tattoo Festival
Lokesh Verma Award
- 2021: Guinness World Record for the maximum number of flags in a human
Guinness World Records Lokesh Verma
Bicycle Collection
- Harley-Davidson
Lokesh Verma’s Instagram post about his motorcycle
Car Collection
- BMW
Lokesh Verma drives his BMW
Tattoo
He has got several tattoos inked on his arms and chest. Among them, there is a dream chasing tattoo on his right arm and another portrait of his wife on his left bicep.
Lokesh Verma gets a tattoo inked
Lokesh Verma Tattoo
Favourite
- Tattoo Artists: Paul Booth, Robert Hernandez, Dimitri Smohin
Facts/Trivia
- As a child, he liked to draw cartoons. At the age of 14, Lokesh emerged as the winner of a drawing competition held in Japan, a competition organized by Mitsubishi. In an interview, he shared that at a very young age, he developed an interest in tattoos. He said,
I was always fascinated by body art or Tattoos but no one knew about it then. So, although singing and dancing were still considered hobbies, the interest in tattooing or considering it as a profession was strange in those days. But my parents never stopped me from experimenting and always supported and encouraged me in whatever I chose to do.”
- He was one of the first Asians to be invited as a guest to Academie Tie Polo, which is the world’s first tattoo and fine arts university.
- Lokesh has shared his knowledge and expertise with over 100 aspiring tattoo artists, some of whom now work with him in his studio.
- In 2018, Lokesh collaborated with renowned tattoo artist Paul Booth, who has always been a source of inspiration for him.
- In 2019, Lokesh achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first artist from Asia to receive an invitation to lecture at the prestigious University of Tattoo and Fine Arts, Academie Tier Polo, located in Italy.
- As in his social media profile, he is a humanitarian and a motorist.
- He is often spotted drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.
Lokesh Verma’s Instagram post about drinking and smoking
- He has started his YouTube channel Devil’z Tattooz where he uploads videos of his tattoos.
- In 2022, he appeared in TEDx Talks to share his journey to becoming one of India’s leading tattoo artists.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
