Zezi, Senior Tattoo Artist
Founder of Finer Things Tattoo
Specializes in fine line and illustrative tattoos
Hi, I’m Zezi,
Art has been an essential part of me as long as I can remember. Before I could even speak, I was already doodling. My mom noticed my love for art early on and sent me to my first art class at just four years old. From there, my journey never stopped. I attended specialized art schools throughout my childhood and pursued my passion in art college.
Growing up in China, where art is considered “not a professional career,” I knew I had to take a leap. I flew across the Pacific Ocean to NYC by myself to pursue my Master’s degree at Pratt Institute.
Before becoming a fine line full-time tattoo artist, I spent six years as an art teacher in NYC public schools. In the early days of my tattoo career, I taught art on weekdays and tattooed in Times Square on weekends—working 13-hour shifts, leaving the studio at 1 a.m. to hop on the 7 train back to Queens, then waking up at 6 a.m. to teach—all while working seven days a week to support my dream. Those long and exhausting days helped me hone my skills in fine line tattooing quickly.
During a visit to Seattle in the summer of 2022, I fell in love. Who doesn’t love summer here? :) I decided to leave behind my 10 years as a New Yorker and make Seattle my home. The same year, I founded Finer Things Tattoo, a woman-owned tattoo studio specializing in fine line and custom designs. It’s one of the best decisions of my life! As of January 2025, I’ve had the honor of tattooing over 1,000 satisfied clients in Seattle. I’m beyond grateful for this journey, and the incredible people I’ve met. My favorites are botanical, minimal, illustrative, and microrealistic tattoos.
My tattoo journey continues. Looking forward to hearing your tattoo story!
Leila, Apprentice Tattoo Artist
Specializes in fine line, dark art, color, and cover-up tattoos
Hello, I'm Leila, nice to meet you!
I love to do tattoos that resemble a "dark art" or goth aesthetic. I also enjoy taking on color, cover-ups, neck/hand tattoos, and everything in between!
From a very young age, I would answer questions about what I wanted to be when I grew up with "an Artist". After many years of drawing during class, I attended the University of Washington and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. I even graduated from the Honors Fine Arts program, within just two short years of my college education.
Tattooing has always been something that I wanted to do, but my younger self didn't have the confidence to pursue it. Finally, after making a new commitment to giving the industry a shot, I landed an apprenticeship with Zezi at Finer Things Tattoo. The practice of tattooing allows me to share my love of art in a much more direct and meaningful way, and this apprenticeship has confirmed that this is what I am meant to be doing. I am ecstatic for the opportunity to work with you!