Meet Kari Barba: Business owner, Tattoo artist and painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kari Barba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kari, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was very young at just 23 when starting my own business, so I didn’t really have much of a thought process accept… I think we can do this! I think we could make a living and do tattooing as a way of life. It seemed Like a stretch but I felt we had to go for it at the time. How hard could it be, I thought. Years later realizing how very difficult it really is.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a tattoo artist now for 42 years. I have been tattooing since I was 19 years old. Every day I get to create art that will last with a person for the rest of their lives. A living breathing art as ancient as time. I opened my first shop at 23 in Anaheim, CA. I’ve been lucky to own 7 shops over my years, now holding 2 with my partner, Yvonne LA. One in Costa Mesa and one in Long Beach, CA. Our shop in Long Beach is the Oldest shop in the nation and second oldest in the world, dating back to an opening of 1927.

I could write for hours about the road I have traveled to get to where I am today. I’ve been very fortunate to have had a great career in Tattooing. I started entering tattoo competitions early in my career. In 1985 at the National Tattoo assoc. tattoo convention I won my first competition, best Black and gray design sheet. I have fortunate to have won over 500 awards since.

The biggest challenges I had along the way are being female and coming out as a lesbian later in my life. In my business, there weren’t many females early in my career in tattooing. Maybe less than 2 dozen that I was aware of at the time. Many men at the time didn’t want girls tattooing and would voice that to me. Many clients in the shops would do the same. I remember one guy saying,”I Ain’t gettin’ tattooed by no chick!”. So, we as women had a harder road than the men. Many women in the shops have stated they were brought in as eye candy. Not allowed to be involved in shop talk or discussions. I, being the owner at a young age had a step up in that department.

When I came out as gay it was even worse. Many friends in the business just stopped calling, but I was on the road to finding myself, and finding my art.
I was doing a lot of styles, everything I could at the time. I loved so many things in art. Asian styles, black and gray and realism, along with many others.
I still do many styles, but now I narrow them down and I am mostly in love with what I call Illustrative realism. I am somewhat known, and have been lucky to do a lot of Octopus tattoos, which I love.

I was fortunate to be asked to tattoo a silicone arm for the Natural History Museum LA. They had an exhibition called TATTOO. I was the only woman at the time to be asked to tattoo one of the silicone body parts. They featured women in this exhibition, which was great! Titine Leu, a fantastic artist had many paintings in the show, many of past woman tattoo artists and collectors.
I from there was included in a show in The MOLAA museum in Long Beach, called INK.

They connected 6 tattoo artists with 6 survivors of tragic turns in their lives to tattoo their store or represent it on their bodies in ink. My victim was a domestic violence survivor.

I am also very fortunate, and have the great honor of being a judge at Mondial Du Tatouage in Paris.

As far as I am aware this is the biggest tattoo convention going on in the world.
I continue to strive and grow in my art each day.
I paint also in oils. During the pandemic I was able to complete 11 painting commisions.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I really love the diversity in all ways in Long Beach. We’re on the beach, and we have many great beaches), with a view of the mountains. If I had a friend visit I would start out with breakfast because I love breakfast. Let’s grab a cup of coffee at Steal Head coffee on Broadway and Redondo, then head to Berlin Bistro for breakfast. They also have great lunch. We could catch a movie at the Art Theatre and rides bikes along the beach path with stops to go visit much of the great wall art around town. I would plan a whale watching trip and kayak rentals in the bay. One night it would be great to ride a Gondola in the canals of Naples Island, especially if it’s around the holidays to see all the Christmas lights and possibly be in the boat parade. Long Beach also has a great 2nd street Christmas parade.

Depending on the time of the year.. the Sea Festival events which happen weekly, some 2 or 3 a weekend, are so fun. They range from boat races and regattas to kids fishing competitions to sand castle building and Lobster festivals.

For dinners we have so many choices… such as Ellies, NIck’s, Michaels on Naples, Unbuntu, Kihon and Kashiwa for sushi or Parkers or Tantalum on the water.

We would also need to visit the Long Beach Museum of Art and MOLAA museum.
We would certainly have a fun filled week.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are several people I need to shout out to… MY wife, Teri Mullins for always having my back and helping me to strive for more and push forward, for all her love and support.

My business partner, Yvonne La… she’s been along side of me in my business,(now our business), throughout her career in tattooing, now 26 years. Helping run the business and helping me to grow in ways that would help myself to be a better person and our business to thrive and grow.

Huck Spaulding and Ernie Carafa for first believing in me enough to buy and sell my first flash designs for tattooing.

My crew.. a group of amazing artists over the years that have taught me so much and helped me to balance and grow.

My family.. my kids Jeremiah and Nakia

Website: www.outerlimitstattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karibarbatattoo/

Facebook: Kari Barba

Image Credits
Photos by Matt Hand