Reality on a Plate with Luca Stan

reality on a plate is a new publishing feature series that, in response to member requests, allows individuals to dive deeper into the experiences of others before attending our events, fostering a sense of familiarity and connection.

Luca is a tattoo artist based in Bucharest. His world moves between Boat Tattoos his studio — painting, sculpture and people — ideally, around a big dinner table or on a boat with nowhere particular to be.

tell us about your background — where you grew up, what food looked like in your home, and the memories that shaped who you are today

I grew up in the suburbs, where most days were spent outside playing sports, messing around with friends...

...coming back only when it was time to eat. That was when the day slowed down.

My mom cooked for me and my sister Sara and there was usually something waiting for us at the table. Of all the things she made, the one I still find myself thinking about is probably the simplest: griș cu lapte. Funny how those things stay with you.

if you could return to one table, who would be sitting around it

I’d rather set a new one! A big dinner at home with my now-scattered group of friends. Everyone together again, talking over one another.

what does your morning routine look like

I’m not great at mornings. Or routines, really. Some days I’m at the gym by 9am; others, it’s noon and I’m still in bed, listening to music and hopefully drawing something.

Born in 2002, if that explains anything.

what do you serve when you have people over

Chicken pesto pasta with lemon and plenty of cinnamon — an unexpected mix. The cinnamon adds a warm, sweet, woody note that completely changes the dish.

where do you take someone you really like

Somewhere we can watch the stars. Or on a boat, preferably with no real plan of getting back anytime soon.

what do you eat standing up over the kitchen counter

The other day it was pancakes with strawberry jam, probably meant for a plate and a table, but they never made it that far.

what objects always seem to follow you from home to studio

Mostly drawing tools, paintbrushes, and whatever I need for the tattoos I’m working on. There’s always something moving between home and the studio depending on the project.

tell us the story of your first tattoo — what was it, what made you get it, and how did that lead you into drawing and eventually tattooing yourself

I got my first tattoo almost on a whim, and after that I couldn’t really stop. I got the word something in japanese. I think you can imagine the conversations I was having after that.]

A few months later, I started drawing things I wanted tattooed on myself. The more I drew, the more I wanted to understand how those drawings could actually live on skin.

do you remember the first tattoo you ever made on someone

tell us everything

I was still doing my certification course at Cactus Ink in Bucharest, with Dragoș Calmuc.

My first client wanted a tiger head.

Before we started, I wanted to know what the needle felt like on real skin, so Dragoș suggested I make a test line without ink.

I did — except next to where the tiger was going. That was my first lesson in working with skin. I remember thinking: this is going to be fun.

The tiger turned out great, by the way.

tattooing is such an intimate exchange: a stranger walks in and, a few hours later, leaves carrying something you made on their body forever

do you ever think about that

Once or twice a week, actually. It hits harder when I’m working freehand drawing directly on someone’s body; or when they’ve chosen one of my own designs.

That’s when I stop and realise that someone is going to walk out carrying a piece of my mind, my hands, and my art with them. And it’s going to stay there.

people often want tattoos to mark something: love, grief, a beginning, an ending. what have years of listening to those stories taught you about people

I’ve noticed that when people are scared of something in their lives, they often want to do something brave with their bodies. There’s something about fear that makes you want to leave a mark, or do something you normally wouldn’t.

what makes you say no to a tattoo

It’s a tough question because I tend to have a pretty friendly relationship with my clients. If something doesn’t feel right, I’m vocal about it and maybe we change the idea, rethink the placement, or find another way to make it work.

And if we really don’t resonate, sometimes the right answer is just not to do it.

have you ever tattooed two people in love

romantic love? Not as much as you’d think. I might have a magnet for other demographics. But friendship love, definitely.

Those are actually some of my favourites. Two people coming in together, choosing something they’ll carry with them long after they leave the studio.

And while I’m tattooing them, there’s always a little part of me thinking:

I hope these two stay friends.

what stays longer: a tattoo or the feeling that made you get it

The tattoo.

But I’m sure you’ve heard people say they got one as a reminder.

Feelings change, people change, and the reason you got it might not even make sense anymore. But I like that it stays anyway — a record of who you were, and a reminder that once, you felt that way.

tell us about your Porcelain Series — cats, beetles and other creatures keep appearing in it. what connects them all

I love the contrast black and greywash, fine dark ornaments on something that looks so delicate. The precision it takes is insane. At some point I realised that, with enough skill, anything could become porcelain. I wanted to develop that into my own style.

It’s much harder than it looks. The porcelain cat is still one of my favourites to this day.

what in your life are you a beginner at these days

Painting, sculpting and, maybe, getting better at human connection.

last google search

gris cu lapte in engleza

what if things go well

I ask myself that almost every day. Sometimes I say it to a friend, a stranger, a client.

I guess that’s why I wanted to be part of this community — funny how I ended up surrounded by people asking themselves the exact same thing.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

all images provided by Luca

editor Alinz