artists

Bale has always been drawn to art. Initially finding graffiti as a way to express creativity, he found the tattoo shop and was instantly hooked. The love of the tattoo shop eventually led to him pursuing tattooing on his own in his basement, getting practice on friends and family as he worked to find his style. From there he opened the doors of his first shop in 2006 he remained up until 2010, building his clientele and perfecting his technique.  From there he went on to open up a shop off of central which became a staple not only in downtown but a common name in the industry. This shop was home to the core artists of Por Vida Tattoo for 11 years, but as they continued to grow there was a need for more space to deliver to the needs of an increasing number of clients. The shop went on to expand to a 15,000 square foot warehouse that has been completely remodeled from the inside out by the Por Vida crew and is where they call home to this day. Being born and raised in Albuquerque, Bale has always aimed to build something positive for the city, and with the shop being located in the center of the metro area, the shop's goal of building an inclusive community has become a reality.