In a creative city like Austin, individuals with artistic inclinations are a dime a doze. Nevertheless, characters with copious amounts of refined talent and finely-tuned skills that throw heaps of uninhibited passion at those inclinations in order to make them a reality are few and far between. Katja Ramirez, a tattoo artist working out of world-renowned Perfection Tattoo, is the embodiment of focused artistic zeal.

Before calling Austin home, Katja’s passion made her somewhat of a nomad. Born and educated in Montreal, Canada, Katja fell in love with oil painting and drawing at a young age. With growth and maturity came a profound love and admiration for the sacred art of tattooing that caused her to embark on a southbound journey that would eventually take her from Canada to Texas.

The first move the self-taught skin decorator made came when, after inking up a few brave friends, she was offered a job in Canada’s cultural capital. “I was looking for people I could learn from and I was called to go to Toronto,” she reminisced, “I liked Montreal, but it was worth leaving for the job.”  After acquiring a wealth of knowledge in Toronto, some friends that owned a shop in New York rang her up with an offer. She didn’t think twice about it and quickly drifted down to this side of the border.

New York was good to her: “I spent about three years in New York, met my husband and learned a lot,” said Katja. With hubby Gabriel Ramírez and two babies along for the ride, the artist moved to Houston. A few more trips between Houston and New York followed (trust me, they’re too complicated to get into here). Finally, Katja arrived in Austin, a place she said she was in love with even before moving here. Now Austin strikes her as the perfect place to raise her kids, Sofía and Pablo: “Our first night here my husband and I sat on the stairs of our house and listened and… we couldn’t hear any sirens or shootings. To us it was like instant relief. It was surreal,” she recalled with a smile. Surreal Austin has also been friendly and welcoming in many ways. “I was worried about having to interact with the PTA crowd but everyone here is pretty laid back,” said the tattooist.

When asked about the reason for her plethora of relocations, the inkslinger is quick to point out that honing her skills was always at top of her list. As a female artist trying to get an apprenticeship in the good-old-boys business of tattooing, Katja basically moved to wherever a good opportunity was offered. “When I started off nobody wanted to give me the time of day. As a woman, it took a lot longer to get respect in this business,” said the artist. Thankfully, respect is something she definitely gets now. Her move to Austin came hand-in-hand with a job at Perfection Tattoo. The new shop has her working side by side, and learning from, tattooing extraordinaire and current shop owner Chris Treviño. “I heard they had an opening so I called Chris and… he was down!”

Enamored with Austin, Katja talked about a few of the things she enjoys most about the city. “Austin has a great tattoo community and we get clients from all across the board. I don’t know, I guess it has some connection to the music scene; musicians love their ink. Also, if you live anywhere in Texas and you’re artsy or liberal, you’re going to move to Austin eventually.”  

Now, operating out Perfection Tattoo’s centric location on Guadalupe and 42nd, Katja is as sharp as ever while simultaneously striving daily to perfect her craft and remain as one of the best in the business. “Chris (Treviño) has been an incredible influence. He’s constantly raising the bar and setting the standard,” praised Katja. Nevertheless, don’t let her humble nature and respect for others fool you: Katja is the best at what she does. Working in a business where it’s usually believed that a woman can’t set down a straight line, her portfolio is a testament to her immense talent and unflinching commitment to her trade. From traditional Japanese work to Mexican art influenced pieces, black and gray and a colorful array of birds, fishes, ships and skulls, Katja’s body of work is astonishingly diverse and masterfully accomplished.

Katja doesn’t tattoo like a man, she tattoos way better than most men.

“Katja is an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Bob Moreau, a funny, honest man with a charming smile who founded Perfection Tattoo back in 1978. “She treats her clients with aplomb and she has a very light hand. She’s the best artist I know. We are lucky to have her in Austin and we’re extremely lucky to have her in the shop,” concluded Moreau.

A walking dichotomy, the sweet, gentle and humorous Katja is a tough woman when it comes to expressing her feelings about those that take tattooing lightly. “To all of those who go into tattooing thinking it’s an easy way to make a dollar, they can kiss my ass. If you’re not completely passionate about it and willing to stick to it, don’t even go near it.” Amen.

With 13 years of tattooing under her belt, this petite woman is a creative giant who cares deeply about her art and her canvasses. “I like to work with people. Sometimes they come to the shop with unrealistic ideas and…you can’t expect people to know everything about tattooing, especially if it’s their first time.” So, even if you’re new to the sacred art, consider the fact that a top-notch artist is more than willing to sit down and educate you at Perfection Tattoo. You can thank her later. Also, if you want to get inked by Katja, keep in mind that she has a busy schedule and is regularly booked solid for two or three weeks. However, she accepts walk-ins when not working with her appointments, so drop by anytime and maybe you’re lucky. In the meantime, head on down to katjaramirez.com and check out her amazing portfolio.

When you get there, study the wonderful art that covers her walls and her skin. Then, go ahead and ask her what she plans to do when she’s 80. “I hate when people look at my tattoos and ask me what I’m going to do when I’m 80… I’m going to do the same shit I’m doing now!” Yeah, we are lucky to have her in Austin.