LOGAN SQUARE — Butterfat Studios, a world-renowned tattoo studio in Logan Square, is the latest victim to rising rents and property values in the neighborhood.
The two artists of Butterfat have decided to shut down the studio after losing their lease.
The team behind the studio called the decision heartbreaking.
"We had some heart-to-heart conversations and realized we had other things we want to do, maybe this had run its course," said Esther Garcia, who founded the studio six years ago. "It's had a beautiful run."
The studio's two artists, Garcia and Stephanie Brown, who joined Garcia about three years ago, had hopes to reopen in the neighborhood, but were unable to find another affordable space that was suitable for their shop.
It would be impossible to find anything as fitting as their current storefront studio with its prime location on the square and spacious studio space, according to the artists.
"It's the death of anything interesting on the square," Brown said. "It's not a $12 cocktail place."
One of two tattooing rooms at Butterfat Studios. [DNAinfo/Paul Biasco]
It's unknown what will go into the Butterfat Studios space, 3129 W. Logan Blvd., which was originally built for a law firm.
The building is currently for sale, according to the artists.
The space with its dark wood, abundance of plants and by-appointment-only mystique is a far cry from a traditional tattoo shop.
The front door is regularly locked and there is nearly a constant set of eyes peering into the front window trying to get a glimpse of what's happening inside.
"Any neighborhood that changes, any gentrification, there are always stages where people are like 'that was the end of it as I loved it,' " Garcia said. "Maybe us arriving was the end of it for somebody. Boutique tattooing was probably such a head-shaking idea to anybody in the area."
When the studio closes in mid-October Garcia, 38, and Brown, 29, will take their art on the road separately, tattooing in friends' studios around the country and globe while occasionally crossing paths to host pop-up Butterfat Studios.
"We figured we would take it around the country rather than waiting for people to come to us," Garcia said.
Butterfat Studios is one of the most unique tattoo parlors in the world due to the focus on the artists work rather than what customers want.
The artists chooses their clients and collaborators who come from all over the globe to tattoo in the studio.
Some clients wait years to be tattooed by either artist at Butterfat.
The tattoos are usually based in natural illustration themes and are developed from projects proposed by the artists for specific parts of the body.
The studio posts proposals on its website and social media pages.
"There's really no precedent for how we have done it," Brown said.
When the studio first opened the idea of allowing Garcia to tattoo a client and to take complete control of the design was a difficult sell.
Over the years as the studio, and specifically Garcia's reputation grew, clients grew more comfortable with the idea.
"At a certain point you get tired of being a tool for somebody else to wield," Garcia said. "I really was trying to push for a place where tattooers can come and do the things that they wanted to do as they saw fit."
To come up with inspirations for projects Garcia has been on a tour of museums across the country.
"It turns out that people want to have that option to work with someone like that rather than just going in and being like I sketched this on the back of a napkin or I found this in a tattoo magazine or my cousin has this tattoo or picking something off the wall," she said.
Since the word of the closing has leaked, the studio has been getting desperate emails from people who have been waiting years for an appointment, according ot the artists.
People have even been stopping them on the street or while they are out asking about getting appointments before its too late.
The studio will be posting the last of its projects in the next few months.
Butterfat will be hosting farewell parties to say bye to both the neighborhood and friends before hitting the road in October.
"I think we have done well with the space and held our own and have added to the character of the neighborhood," Garcia said. "It does feel very bittersweet to let go of that."
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