36 | BOROMAG.COM | MAY 2015 THE ARTS BORO last sat down with tattoo artist Andreana Verona almost four years ago when her studio, Supernova, was in its debut location on Ditmars Boulevard. Since that time, not only did the location change, but so did her partner in crime. Now on 23rd Avenue a little further off the beaten path, Verona has paired with Andre Juliani. The two would appear to be opposites in many obvious ways. Visually, Juliani is covered in tattoos from neck to foot, with several designs layering one upon another. In contrast, Verona harbors merely one tattoo—a simple crane, inconspicuously housed on one of her ankles. “I’ve never been able to decide exactly what I want,” explains Verona. “Depending on my mood, one day I like egrets and another day I like dragons.” Juliani is extremely charismatic and articulate, and he shares his opinions freely. Verona is more soft-spoken, shy and notably more timid. The result is a harmony that seems to work well. Perhaps because the one thing they both have in common is a profound sense of humility. “I do not like to call myself an artist,” explains Juliani. “Everybody is an artist. Delivery guys, doctors, bakers… everybody.” Verona interjects, “But you are an artist, in your way. You are a DJ, you are a drummer…” When asked what she feels makes her studio so unique, Verona explains, “I hear many times complaining about attitudes. We try to listen to people and not give attitudes. I guess we are just nice.” The journey has been a long one for Verona. “I started studying graphic design just after high school,” she says. “When I was 18, I went to my first tattoo shop, and like a lightning bolt it struck me that it was I wanted it to do.” In regards to the new space, “I wanted something bigger,” she says. And so she moved her studio to the larger space shared by Astoria Soundworks, among several other businesses. “It’s funny. We are busier here than on Ditmars.” The new location also improved the caliber of the designs being commissioned. “Sometimes street shops do very common and commercial things,” says Juliani. Browse through the designs this studio has worked on over the course of the past decade, and the words “common” and “commercial” are the last descriptions that come to mind. Whether Juliani likes the term or not, these two are undeniably artists in every sense of the word. 38-01 23rd Ave., Astoria 718-274-5712 www.supernovatattoo.com
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