Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a tattoo artist with a decade of experience in animation/game design and a lifelong passion for drawing. I am currently dedicating most of my time to building my tattoo brand under Waysen Tattoos. Alexis works in 3D animation and has a fondness of plants, animals and cuisine. When she is not working on ten different projects at once she is perfecting natural, self sustaining fishtanks/eco-systems. Together we both work on Hello Muka, a small company of four artists and life-long friends with big dreams with a focus on building a more inclusive and creative future in fashion for people of intersectional identities.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Hamilton, originally on a small little street called Severn St. tucked right behind James St and sandwiched between Mulberry Cafe and the business plaza. Later I moved up to West Mountain in my teen years, left Hamilton for college and eventually came back. Alexis grew up in Scarborough, moved to Markham and after a number of moves finally settled in Hamilton with me.

Why Hamilton?

Hamilton has it’s own little charm, it’s neither a big city or a small town. It’s a great mixture of new and old sensibilities with a bustling art scene bumping up against ambitious trades sectors. At the time we purchased our first home Hamilton seemed like a no brainer being both close to my family and accessible in terms of finances for two young professionals.

What neighbourhood are you living in now and why did you choose it?

We are in the Randall neighborhood. It’s a nice and quiet neighborhood with friendly people and a great amount of walkable space (since we have dogs). It is also a quick drive to the highway which makes it very accessible to all different areas of the city.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in Hamilton in the last decade?

In the last decade or so Hamilton has really grown! There are a lot of great small businesses that have opened up and/or migrated here (a lot of food businesses which has been a delicious and welcome addition). Unfortunately it has also brought a lot of developers and investors that have driven up the housing/renting costs in a way that makes living here seem more and more inaccessible.

If you were travelling outside of the country and someone asked you about where you lived, how would you describe Hamilton?

Hamilton is a city full of history but also young energy. Sprawling from Lake Ontario, climbing up a plateau and bordering along a lush green tree line it is a city that hosts people from all walks of life; steel-workers, university students, artisans, etc. Hamilton is also known as ambitious city and it definitely lives up to its name.