Swiss tattoo artist Giovanni GTA creates vibrant avant-garde tattoos from his own Studio GTA in the city of Lausanne.

His unique artistry combines different art styles and tattoo techniques, often featuring beautiful women’s faces and rich golden details.

We had an excellent chat with Giovanni about how he came into the tattoo industry, what it’s like to work with the love of your life, and the personal philosophies behind everything he does.

How long have you been tattooing, and how did you get started in the industry?

I’ve been tattooing for 13 years now, and I feel like I get a new beginning every single day.

The very first step happened when I was a child – me, my sister and my brother were surrounded by our parents and their friends who had tattoos. In our family we’re all fascinated by the power of art and creativity to transform our lives and make them so much better.

So my passion for all seven arts - plus tattooing - brought creativity into my life.

The second step came from experiences in my youth – I’d combine different ideas, drawing every day, even during worktime, and when I finished my days, I’d draw until I fell asleep. Slowly the idea of becoming a tattoo artist came to mind, so I pushed myself to find the right place to become an apprentice.

The hard part was that the more I invested myself in finding the right place, the more my task seemed impossible, and I was discouraged. I discovered that I struggle with patience and that the power of an idea can feel overwhelming!

After some perseverance and discipline, my art started to become cleaner, and finally artist Don José recognised my portfolio. He decided to open his heart and tattoo studio to me, and helped me get my first tattoo supplies.

He asked me to invite my family and close friends to come and get tattooed by me - some were free, some contributed to my career, and for that I am eternally grateful - and of course Don José continued to impart his experience and knowledge.

For me, one of the most beautiful aspects of artistic activity is to be happy with what we already have while staying unsatisfied with what we’re doing – to be unsatisfied is in fact a creative mindset!

The third step was when I realised that to have faith in yourself and your idea - and to stay invested in what you love - makes a huge difference and allows you to turn a passion into a vocation. I can’t remember where and when I heard or read this truth: “follow what you love, and love what you do”.

And finally, the fourth step was to continue to climb each step by respecting the process, making mistakes, recognising them, and trying to learn from them.

How would you describe your tattoo art style?

Avant-garde, realistic, coloured, saturated, and contrasted – breathable, with movement and flow. These are the words I usually use to describe my art, although I don’t mind when people use other words. In fact, I would invite anyone reading this to email or message me and let me know what you think my style is – let’s talk!

“Art is in constant evolution” is a point of view I have faith in. For that reason, I’m one of those people who are perpetually searching themselves. I would say that I love mixing different styles to discover new ones. I love almost every detail of life, especially when I can take the time to observe, and over time I am slowly creating my own unique style.

Why “Giovanni GTA”?

One of my grandmas told me that I have a beautiful Italian name, and I shouldn’t hide behind a nickname. I struggled to imagine using my real name in the tattoo community though.

I’m not super self-confident, and when I realised that I used to play a lot of GTA – especially Vice City – I combined that with my grandma’s advice and created version 2.0 of my tattoo name.

Using my real name meant I had to develop self-confidence, to know who I am, and allowed me to create my own level in the game we call life!

GTA can also stands for Giovanni Tattoo Artist, and I think that’s more memorable than just Giovanni.

Who inspired or helped you most at the beginning of your career?

I started my career in a small village in the Swiss countryside called Froideville, which is near to where I live now. Alongside my mentor Don José, my grandparents inspired and supported me, even helping me to build my first tattoo studio.

After a few months my little sister told me “Gio, my big brother, I am so happy to see you doing an activity that you love.” That became a huge source of motivation to me.

I’d thought I was invested enough, and then that simple sentence spoken by my sister pushed me into a whole new realm of self-motivation, and helped me to feel empowered. There is almost nothing that can stop someone who has nothing to lose!

I can say with confidence that the only one who can support you, help you, and get you doing whatever you really want, is YOU. Then, when you deeply invest in yourself and your skills, you’ll find other ways to improve. Life is full of mentors, who might be people in your family, your friends, or someone from outside your social circle.

One of the best mentors I have is my wife, because she motivates me to keep going and evolving even during difficult periods. She doesn’t criticise at all, only talks kindly and calmly. With love behind you, you’re more willing to take the risks required to build a beautiful life.

After a few years of working on my own I met Jay Freestyle, and he instantly became one of the most respectable mentors a person could have. Huge thanks to him for taking the time to explain his craft with passion and patience!

My career began twice – once on my own, and once again when I met Jay.

Which tattoo artists are doing amazing work now?

First is my lovely wife Mandy; I love watching how her style evolves on its own. And then one of the best mentors I’ve had – especially for his ability to work in different styles - is Jay Freestyle.

There are so many amazing artists in this industry!

To name a few: Anrijs Straume, Benjamin Laukis, Natalie Nox, Dmitriy Samohin, Sandry Riffard, Hannah Flowers, Yomico, Mashkow, Rostra, Sergey Shanko, Pirojenko, Natasha Animal Tattooer, Sandra Daukshta, A.D. Pancho, Rich Harris, Felix Seele, Thomas Carli Jarlier, Valentina Riabova, Torsten Malm, Kätlin Malm, Simone Marchi, Kindamo, Mirko Sata, Ryan Smith, Waler Montero, Sam Barber, Carolina Avalle, Stefano Galati, Marco Pepe, Sampaguita Jay, Lukas Smyku, Acostattoo, Phil Garcia, Ossian Staraj, Inkflow Franky, Dave Paulo, Matrule, Mumia, Lil B, Jak Connolly, Negative Tattoo, Ganga tattoo, Samurico, Kelly Doty, Tofi, Sad Amish, Duda Lozano, Chris Rigoni, Jesse Rix, Julian Siebert, Neon Judas, Moganji, Alex Sorsa, Gara Tattooer, Kozo, Nissaco, Cristian Casas, Zzizziboy, Fredao Olivera, Levgenknysh, Blum.ttt, Dan McWilliams, Stefano Phen, Laura Anunnaki, Filouino, Peste, Edit_paints, PittaKKM.

When did you set up GTA Switzerland?

Super quickly – I started on the 31st December 2009, and by the 1st of April 2010 I’d begun building my own studio with my grandparents’ support.

Originally the studio was named GC Ink Studio, the GC standing for Giovanni Cozza. Thanks to my grandma, the name evolved a few years later.

What’s it like working alongside your wife?

This is my favourite question because Mandy is the most important person in my whole life.

Working with my wife is amazing, just for the fact that we get to be together and share the love all day long! We share the same passion, we have fun while we tattoo and during our breaks, and we can give each other second opinions on how to put on a stencil, carry out the product, and other little details.

And there’s also a doubled edge sword – we’re focused on trying to find the right balance, allowing each other to evolve on their own while forging our path together. There are challenges in working with the one you love; I’m constantly questioning myself about how I should talk and act for her, how best to support her, and accepting that sometimes the best way to help someone is letting them be free to do what they want.

Mandy is self-motivated and super invested in our studio and what she does. She pushes my motivation too when I see what work she’s getting up to. She paints, she makes candles and personalised boxes, and she also does illustration and collage. She builds her path like a boss, and she’s the best person I could have around me, just by being herself.

Thank you to the universe for putting her in my path – she is my everything, and I am so happy to share all my days with my greatest love.

If you could get any artist in as a resident, who would it be?

Obviously the first is Mandy GTA…fortunately, she’s already here! And as more than a resident - she is my partner in crime.

Otherwise, there are many artists I’d love to invite to the studio – any of the artists I named before would be more than welcome to come for a guest spot whenever they want. Just send me a message or email and we’ll talk about creating an incredible experience!

Do you prefer to work in colour over black and grey?

I actually prefer creating in colour because the vibrancy, contrast and saturation suits the style I love right now.

I do put some black and grey touches in my art because that’s where I started, and I love how pure black and grey tattoos look!

What are your favourite colours to work with?

The only brand I use is World Famous Ink because I love how vibrant my tattoos look when they’re healed!

I don’t really have a favourite colour palette – I love all colours and discovering new ways to create with colour and blending, experimenting with each new tattoo I do!

I used to prefer working with turquoise and orange, because I found them easier to put in the skin. After a few years of practice, I would say any colour can implant well when you find the right balance between ink brand, needles, machine, stroke, voltage, plus movement and speed of the hand, and a lot of other considerations like angle, skin quality, and mindset.

I suppose I would say that I love all colours, because I love creating duality and polarity by playing with complimentary colours, tint, tone, shade, and contrast.

Do you prefer to have free reign for a tattoo, or some direction?

Free reign!

I love exploring different methods, and when I have free reign with no restrictions, I’m able to create whatever I want.

That means I’m able to give people a signature piece, an original piece of art directly from the mind of an artist. Without any limits or restrictions, beyond significance and requests, beyond human facts – just a pure act of creativity.

Some ideas are nice though, and I enjoy creating art based on a simple topic - even one word can be enough, or some keywords or a sentence or two. I love to work as freely as possible so I can give the best of myself and create a masterpiece that’s different from anything you’ve seen before.

Making something different is much easier for me when I have free reign, so I do prefer to create that way.

For an appointment with me, keep in mine that the freer I am, the more you get from me! I offer three different forms of collaboration, each with their own day rate. Fill in the form on my website and you’ll get a reply about what those are and what they entail.

What elements do you like to put in your designs?

In addition to women’s faces, I love adding dynamic abstract elements, with some watercolour-like splatters. I love avant-garde styles as there’s so much diversity to explore, and so many different elements to add.

I used to play with solid lines or having some parts fully saturated.

Neon is becoming part of my style as I try to be more focused and slowly develop new techniques and visual ideas. My new style is called “GTA” because I’ve started creating a strong visual impact using cell shading and retro-futuristic backgrounds, like in old comic books, the original Grand Theft Auto games, and other old school games.

Now I have a more precise idea of what I’d love to create in the future, make sure to keep an eye on my Instagram portfolio for the quiet rebirth of my art!

Which is your favourite tattoo you’ve done in the last year?

My favourite of 2022 is the very first piece I have done in that new style I mentioned: a portrait of a woman on a forearm, using cell shading. The tattoo is in full colour, with abstract and watercolour touches, and we will include some neon and a kind of “GTA” background, plus maybe another portrait with those “GTA” characteristics!

How do you create gold metallic effects with ink?

I use black, grey tones, dark brown, light brown, olive green, orange, ochre, dark yellow, medium yellow, bright yellow, light yellow and white inks.

Sometimes I add some blue, purple, or pink.

Can you talk us through your workstation?

I mostly use Cheyenne – I recently tried the new SOL Nova Unlimited 4.0, and fell in love! I’d like to try the 5.0 next because I need to see how that stroke could improve my art. I also use Cheyenne needles, usually in these configurations, for most of my tattoos: 3 Round Liner, 5 Round Liner, 7 Round Shader and 5 Magnum with 0.30 mm needles, plus 9, 13 and 17 Magnum Soft Edge with 0.35 mm needles.

I sometimes use larger magnums like 23 or 27 Magnum Soft Edge with a 0.35 mm diameter, depending on the tattoo and area I’m working on.

For inks, I use World Famous Ink.

I love to take my time, I usually have an hour before starting my session to set up the station, then prepare myself mentally. After I make sure my station is clean, I print out my stencil, and make sure to eat or drink before beginning the session.

I do all my preparation with the music up loud so that I can forget the rest of my life and focus on what I’m doing right now!

If you could collaborate with any tattoo artist, who would it be?

My wife.

Then I would choose Mashkow.

Where do you find inspiration for the portraits you tattoo?

Everywhere. Google, Pinterest, in magazines, TV, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.

Even in the street when I am just walking.

I would like to learn how to take better photos so that I can have my own references, as many artists already do. Getting those images yourself makes them more unique, and so much better because you can choose the angle, lighting, effects, filters, backgrounds – and many other aspects I don’t even know!

What’s the best thing about being a tattoo artist?

As I said before, one of the most beautiful aspects of artistic activity is trying to be happy with what we already have, and staying unsatisfied about what we’re doing, because being unsatisfied is a creative mindset!

There’s nothing else I would add on about being a tattoo artist – just being an artist and doing artistic activities is enough for me.

How many tattoos do you have, and which is your favourite?

I’ve stopped counting how many tattoos I have – there are too many and not enough at the same time!

I have more than one favourite though. I have an Anrijs Straume tattoo on my forearm which is amazing, showing Salvador Dali with a tattoo machine and some brushes with a kind of double exposure.

I also have a portrait of Benjamin Laukis holding a tattoo machine, in his style with smoky eyes. He also did a piece on my right leg, which was a wannado design I picked from his collection – a skull in his famous “text fetish” style.

And the sick free reign piece on my leg from Jay Freestyle! He decided to create a kind of sexy woman in full latex. I’m looking forward to continuing this piece and starting some new ones!

Will you be visiting any tattoo conventions in 2023?

Yes, and we would love to do more conventions in the next few years.

We’ve just had an invitation for Elite Tattoo Convention in Cologne, Germany from the 6th–8th October 2023.

For the moment this is the only one we’ve accepted because we are working on some plans that are taking a lot of time to enact!

We won’t engage ourselves in what we are not able to handle. We have learned from the past and from our mistakes, and we prefer to climb each step at a time.

We all have priorities, and right now we have just opened a new studio called “EDEN”, together with my wife, in the centre of Lausanne, Switzerland, so we need to be here to represent ourselves, to welcome artists, and to give all our energy to our new baby.

You are welcome to come and say hi and we will make sure you have great times in Lausanne by discovering good restaurants, nice places and parks, the beautiful lakes, and the mountains we have.

Do you have any advice for people getting started in the industry?

1. You should do what you love.

2. You should have a solid goal, hang your goal to a star and talk to someone who will support you in any way – then go that way until you get what you want.

3. You should engage yourself at 1000%.

4. You should develop discipline to work as hard as possible, because creativity needs discipline to be reinforced.

5. You should be happy with what you get and unsatisfied about what you are doing to foster a creative mindset.

6. You should work for the pleasure and not for the money.

7. You should be humble, respectful, and grateful.

8. You should have your own style and not copy other artists.

9. You should forget the limits.

10. You shouldn’t pay any attention to people who would give you advice they don’t follow themselves.

11. You should be motivated rather than just interested.

12. You should be you.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love my three cats, Spirit, Kyara and Diablo, and I love reading and writing.

I love walking and listening to music.

I love having time off and just observing life passing. For a proper answer to this question, I’d invite you to visit Lausanne – we’ll do some fun activities together and you’ll see what I love to do, and the life I am building for myself! And should you invite me to your city, I will be more than happy to discover that too!

Another activity I love, and is so far my favourite, is to share with people and have fun with them.

What’s fun to do in Lausanne?

Lausanne is a city where in the same day you can hang out on a terrace, ride a boat on a lake, and go to the very top of a hill!

Thanks to the very special Lausanne Metro, you can go from the south to the north of the city in less than twenty minutes. Some viewpoints in the north are freaking amazing!

Close to Lausanne, you can visit a chocolate factory, gelato factory, museums, and one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

There are also UNESCO-protected grape fields just twenty minutes to the east of Lausanne.

What does the future hold for Giovanni GTA?

The only thing I know in my life is that I do not know anything. I have everything to discover. I feel free to be myself, and I am with the one I love.

I have already done what I wanted to do in life before turning 30. My future will be for others. I would like to give to others what I am able to give them that they are not already giving to themselves.

I will continue to do what I am already doing: share unlimited love with others by being considerate and staying true to myself.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this in-depth chat with Giovanni GTA – don’t forget to follow him on Instagram and Facebook to see his art as it continues to evolve!