Universal Rites

After reading the other yelp review and having a reference from a friend, I decided that Universal Rites was the perfect place for me to get my first tattoo! Being a newbie, I was of course a bit apprehensive, but Benja was so accommodating and friendly, I immediately felt a sense of comfort and ease. He made the consultation process smooth, and when the time rolled around for me to get my tattoo, I was more than ready. During the actual tattooing he was easy to talk to, which made the process more bearable, and it was just all-around great getting to know him. On top of that, he is an ARTIST. Truly talented with a pen as well as a needle. Universal Rites is a FANTASTIC place to go, and I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you're getting your first tattoo or your tenth.

Benja is unbelievable. I came in with just a very general idea and he drew me up a beautiful piece. The session took me over 4 hours and he made the time fly by. An awesome guy for sure. I LOVE my tattoo. GET YOUR TATTOO HERE. You will leave with some seriously creative, quality artwork.

My daughter was turning 18 and with 3 tattoos of her own already she wanted me to have one too. I wouldn't get one in NV though, because I needed one that was state certified (personal reasons, and it's a really great reason but not part of my review)

In Reno, tattoo places are a plenty and you could stop by any of them to talk with the artist before you go. Ashland is a solid 4 hour drive from Reno, so it wasn't as if I could just 'stop in' and check them out before I showed up. My husband has a tattoo that he had done here in Reno. The artist did a beautiful job but the guy was a jerk! And he was dirty! I didn't want that for myself. I wanted someone that could relate to my interests and understand (and care about ) the reason I wanted a tattoo. And to also understand and care about my reasons for going to Oregon for a tattoo vs getting one at home - because it mattered to me.

That being the case, I emailed a couple different tattoo shop/studios before arriving.  After explaining to them the purpose of the road trip to Ashland, Benja Burlingame, the owner of Universal Rites replied with "Ahhh...a family that "sticks" together - "sticks" together! ... Very cool idea, and it's as much about the experience as it is the design."

I'd heard back from another artist in Ashland as well, but Benja's comment 'stuck' in my head. We arrived mid day on a Tuesday with intentions of visiting 2 - 3 different artists to interview them and then choose one. Driving into town from the South, I was reviewing the addresses just as we passed 611 Siskiyou and saw the Universal Rites sign. We stopped here first.

The walls of the waiting area of his shop are decorated with historical photographs of tattoo work from around the world, including images of native tribes and tattooed ladies. The sofa and all the furniture was new and the walls were freshly painted with warm colors.

When Benja finished with his client he listened to what we wanted to do and asked if we'd brought pictures with us. He told us where the public library was and that we could print pictures there and bring them to him.

On our way to the library after talking with Benja, my daughter asked "why do we have to see other artists? We like him, let's have him do it." So that's what we did.

Even with my daughter having had tattoo's already, he provided 'heads up' for what he was doing as he worked. Before he applied the stencil, he told her that 'if you don't like it (position and orientation), we'll wipe it off and do it again. As many times as you like until you like where it is.' For my tattoo, which consisted of a total of 14 different individual pieces, orientation and spacing and placement were very important. I had him reposition them a couple of different times before I was completely satisfied, and each time I asked him to move/reposition one he was completely cool with it and reassured me that it was no problem. He wanted me to be happy and satisfied with the work.

While he worked on each of us, he was very friendly and carried great conversations with us. Before starting the actual tattooing, he let my daughter choose what kind of music she wanted to listen too. I thought this was great because I've been in the shops in Reno and have not cared for the noise they called music. I found it interesting that on the following day, he selected the music to play while he was working on me, and it was exactly what I would have picked myself.

Benja runs a one man show currently, but is expecting to expand as he finds more artists that share his philosophy. I'm sure that if by the time you're reading this review, if he has more artists in his studio, you'll find much the same experience we had.

Copied from one of his websites Benja states his philosophy:
"For me it doesn't matter how big or small a tattoo - how intricate or simple. Many clients come to me with a design ready to go, many have no design at all - only an "idea" and a desire. That's why I have free one on one consultations with my people, to get to know them better and help build a "masterpiece". The more I know about them and their personal situation, the more energy I can direct into their tattoo. No matter who, what, and why - the tattoo process is an intimate one, and I am proud to say that all of my clients become family.

I realize that not everyone is "spiritual" and that we all have different ideas and beliefs. I try to make sure people get whatever it is that they want and need out of their tattoo experience - no matter what that is. Some folks just want a beautiful piece done in a relaxed, private environment, others require ceremony and ritual for their personalized religious experience. I welcome all. I judge no one or their tattoos - I am merely here to help transform them.")

And with that, I can say I am extremely glad that we found Universal Rites and Benja to provide us with the memory of an experience we'll enjoy for a lifetime - the tattoo is more than just ink!!