Rising Stars: Meet Madeleine Rastelli of Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeleine Rastelli.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

My story begins in Kentucky of all places. Born in the United States, I moved back to Venezuela with my parents at four where I started painting classes. Art has always been one of the most consistent relationships in my life. I did those painting classes every single saturday until I was 17 years old. My mom was actually the one to keep pushing me and putting me in every available art class. I gradually made my way through the different mediums until I found my love for tattooing. I started tattooing in Venezuela in 2018 but my career did not elevate to the scale it is now until I moved back to the United States in March 2019.

Originally, my plan was to move to Spain, but life always has a way of changing your plans when you least expect it. I never planned to stay in Miami as long as I did, but when you have no return tickets and $600 to your name, you do what you have to do. I started working at a street shop in Florida to help me get by, but it was always clear to me that this was not where I was meant to be. I was able to move to another well known tattoo studio in Miami where I was able to meet new clients, work on more art, and improve my english. I was at that studio for about a year until I made my way to the last studio that I ever worked at in Miami. In 2021 the last studio I worked for gave me the opportunity to travel, and that’s where this story really begins.

Once I realized I was able to tattoo from anywhere I wanted, I knew that was it for me. Always a bit nomadic, tattooing has given me the means to fully explore that lifestyle while meeting some incredible humans along the way. I have now been to over 30 cities and have no plans of stopping anytime soon. Being a tattoo artist is getting to leave little pieces of your art all over the world and that is something I am eternally grateful for. Denver in particular has been very kind to me and has given me so many amazing client connections. This city definitely holds a special place in my heart.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Well…how long do you have? Struggles are apart of life and each experience brings their own unique obstacles. I always say I bring chaos with me in my backpack, its part of my carry on checklist (lol) Traveling, though it appears very glamorous from what you see online, it can be extremely stressful, but so so worth it. Remembering that each challenge is temporary, and that struggles make for a good story always bring me right back to where I belong, which is moving from one place to another, seeing and experiencing everything I can.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am most known as a tattoo artist, but I am also a painter, a photographer, a videographer, a poet and overall creative. My brain is constantly sourcing inspiration through the ordinary, I have always been searching for more and figuring out how to bring things to life.

Right now, my style is “concept tattoo”. I thoroughly enjoy bringing elements of micro realism and geometry together to tell a story visually and create “mind maps”. Being able to tell stories not only through words, but through my art is something I am really proud of. As I expand in my artistic career I am finding more and more ways to link together all of my creative endeavors. As a child, I was extremely introverted, a large part of this had to do with my own struggles with my identity. I knew from a very young age that I was gay, and this absolutely played a role in how I interacted with the world. Art was the only thing I knew would never judge me, its always been my safe haven. Tattooing has allowed me to build my social skills and be able to connect with people on a level I haven’t before. I now can read people so much better even just energetically because of all of these shared experiences and then I get to leave them with a piece of art they get to keep forever. What sets me apart from others, is my ability to really listen. There can be a lot of tattoo artists who get so deep into it that they forget the main reason we are artists is because of connection. Building these deep relationships with my clients allows me to transform a normal tattoo experience into something beautiful and therapeutic for the both of us.

How do you think about happiness?
Creating makes me happy, it lights my soul on fire. Having something like creative energy flowing through you with sometimes no intent purpose is so beautiful to me. I do not create for approval and I do not create to achieve a purpose (always). Sometimes I just like to create because seeing the world through a different beautiful lens makes me feel joy. Even bad experiences can hold lessons if you find creative ways to handle them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moreink.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/more.madeleine/