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A lifelong artist who has tattooed surgeons, elected officials and police officers is celebrating the grand opening of Lighthouse Tattoo Parlor to Tenafly on Sunday, April 30.
After working in graphic design for six years, he realized he wanted to find a new field and a friend recommend he become a tattoo artist. Though Mandal admits at first he was apprehensive.
"I didn't want to mess up anybody," Mandal said. "It's quite a permanent thing."
Mandal began an apprenticeship and was soon honing his craft. Today, he said he specializes in realism and large scale Japanese style tattoos.
"I've done every type of style, but those are the type of tattoos I gravitated toward," Mandal said.
Previous generations may have seen tattoos as the artwork of criminals and bikers but Mandal has seen tattoos evolved to become more mainstream and accepted.
Mandal credits TV shows like Miami Ink and athletes like Allen Iverson and Dennis Rodman for making tattooing more popular.
"People thought [tattoos] looked trashy, but 15 years later everyone looks like that. "They were the trendsetters who bucked the system."
The parlor offers highly trained and specialized tattooing from an artist who has developed a following in the tattoo community.
Mandal, who lives in Westwood, said Lighthouse Tattoo Parlor differs from other tattoo parlors in that they are semi-private and don't usually accept walk-ins.
"We like our designs to be as original as possible," Mandal, who has been tattooing for 12 years, said. "We take our time with the designs and work with our clients to get their feedback. We want to give them exactly what they are looking for."
The tattoo industry has a lot of predators, Mandal said, and he wants to make sure his customers, especially women, feel safe at his parlor.
"Every walk of life is welcome," Mandal said. "We offer a safe space for all."
Lighthouse Tattoo Parlor, 5 Hillside Ave., Tenafly
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