Gabriel Bosquez is the owner of Gabriel’s Fallen Angel Tattoo Studio in North St. Paul, Minnesota.
From South Minneapolis, Bosquez spent the majority of his childhood making friends in the suburb of Osseo, cultivating a personality that meshed well with everyone.
“I got classified as a jock though,” Bosquez says with his patented grin that elicits joy from whomever is on the receiving end of one of his smiles.
At a young age, when Bosquez wasn’t playing sports, he was doing something artistic.
“Even in school, I always took art for my electives. Whether it was jewelry, ceramics, or drawing, I loved to create things with my hands,” he mentions.
This ability to create something majestic from nothing was no accident.
It wasn’t long before Bosquez’s talents caught the attention of Don Nolan, a family friend and revered tattoo artist who saw the potential in Bosquez, even though he was still a teenager.
“If you’re in the tattoo industry and you don’t know who Don Nolan is, you shouldn’t be in the business,” Bosquez contextualizes.
As Bosquez got older and began to exhibit just as much promise, Nolan began bringing Bosquez to tattoo conventions, which proved to be the next phase in Bosquez’s artistic development.
“Tattoo artists are very unique people,” Bosquez brims.
“And I was attracted to that.”
More specifically, Bosquez was enamored with the dynamic between a tattoo artist and the person who was getting inked, and how the two were inextricably linked forever.
“I liked how the people who were getting tattooed trusted the artist to put something on their body that would last forever,” Bosquez adds.
“I can’t think of another type of profession that would have that same type of effect.”
Once Bosquez became of age, he began working for the aforementioned Don Nolan, assuming a mentee role alongside a national icon whose work has been heavily influenced by his connection to the country of Japan, among other places.
This was back in 1998, and Bosquez possessed the innate wherewithal to realize that the opportunity he had been afforded didn’t happen everyday to aspiring artists.
“Right away, it was hard work,” Bosquez says of learning from one of the GOATs in the tattoo industry.
“He [Don] expected excellence, and I did my best to give it to him.”
For the next twenty years, Bosquez, despite coming into his element as a tattoo artist, continued to refine his craft under the tutelage of Nolan.
Sadly, in 2019, Nolan passed away, levying a sizeable blow to Bosquez and the rest of the worldwide tattoo community.
But amidst the profound sadness, Bosquez extracted key lessons that continue to define who he is both as an artist, and as a person.
“Even as I got better and more recognized for my work, I didn’t think of myself as being great,” Bosquez starts.
“I was constantly trying to become the best version of myself, and I still do that today, which is why I consistently practice gratitude and humility.”
All those principles ingrained in him by Nolan are crucial to the success of the 43-year-old Bosquez, and while his notoriety in the tattoo sphere has only increased over the years, Bosquez admits there are still aspects of the profession he struggles with.
“I want people to be comfortable with their tattoo before I even begin drawing on their body,” notes Bosquez, who spends copious amounts of time detailing a design with his clients before a needle ever touches their skin.
This strategy results in beautiful art that’s forever emblazoned on a client’s body, but because of his appreciated methods, and skill level, Bosquez’s services are in high demand, and he simply can’t perform on everyone as fast as they may like.
“I like to make people happy, especially the clients who are passionate about their tattoo idea, but then I have to try to maintain that excitement for long periods of time because my waiting list is so long,” Bosquez laments.
For context, Bosquez’s earliest availability for new clients is in 2026, a testament to his immense talent, but again a stark reminder that one man can only do so much.
“I currently work five days a week for 10-12 hours a day,” Bosquez says.
“I’m putting in the time, but I can’t compromise the quality of my work to expedite my workload.”
Nor will he accept additional compensation in order for someone to accelerate their tattoo timeline.
“With what I do, it’s not about the money,” Bosquez emphasizes.
“My goal is to serve those who have been loyal to me and help me get to this point in my career. A lot of people will come into my shop and tell me congratulations on opening my new business, but I tell them that this is a joint effort. Without their help, I never would be in this position.”
With such a heavy workload in 2023 and beyond, and with the demand for his services so high, Bosquez could theoretically impose a massive surcharge on his fees, but the Twin Cities native refuses to prioritize profits over people.
At the same time, his hourly rate isn’t budget friendly.
It currently sits at $210 per hour, and Bosquez is typically able to give a client a good idea of how many hours a project will take so that they can budget accordingly.
Bosquez also has several talented tattoo artists working alongside him, all of whom the iconized inking expert fully endorses as talented and competent individuals.
“Everyone who works here meets my standards for safety and artistry, so if someone really wants to get a tattoo but they don’t necessarily want to wait to work with me specifically, I have a talented group of people working with me that can help bring their vision to fruition,” Bosquez says.
Assembling an all-star cast makes complete sense from a business perspective, but the middle-aged Bosquez also understands that there will come a day where his hands may not possess the same wizardry they currently do, and that for as cemented as his legacy is, he may one day put down his tools and become a mentor, just like Don Nolan.
“As soon as someone says you aren’t what you once were, then it will be time for me to take a step back and let the next generation slowly take over,” Bosquez calmly reveals, not an ounce of sadness detected as he utters these words.
“My goal is to have the next wave of tattoo artists take what they’ve learned from me and make things better. I took what I learned from Don, who learned a lot from artists around the world, and that’s just how the circle of life goes. So no, whenever my time is up, there will be no hard feelings because this industry and this art form has given me so much.” QS
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