Meet Micheline Halloul | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Micheline Halloul and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Micheline, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from El Paso, Texas and my upbringing impacted me the way I am today because my parents always supported my dreams of being an artist. I have been making art since I could hold a pencil and have not stopped since. It is the only thing I ever really cared about doing. I was able to express myself through art and my parents never stopped me and always encouraged me. Being able to create and be yourself without being told ‘no’ or ‘you can’t be an artist when you grow up’ gave me the fuel to get to where I am today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is a little whimsical, but feels familiar. I have always been inspired by Shel Silverstein, Ludwig Bemelmans and Tim Burton; they have had a major influence on my style. I am most proud of the fact that these drawings I have made my entire life have ended up on skin, ON HUMAN FLESH, like what do you mean you want my drawing of a lizard smoking a cigarette wearing a cowboy hat on you for the rest of your life? It is the greatest honor to do what I do. The stories I have heard, the lives that have touched mine, the experience of the exchange of energy you have with someone while tattooing them is crazy. It is something I cannot even describe. I have learned so many lessons along the way. One, owning your own business is not easy. Period. I am constantly learning and growing. I am grateful for my clients, especially the ones who have been with me from day one when I was tattooing out of my bedroom in my first apartment here in Austin and my tattoo artist friends that helped, encouraged and supported me so much when I decided to open Church!

I came up with Church, the moment I felt the air of the entry fan when I walked through the automatic doors at Trader Joe’s-not what you expected, yeah me neither. The first person I texted-my brother. He did all of my branding for me and was just as geeked out as I was with the name. I am not religious at all (I was raised Catholic), so being able to create my own space where you get tattooed in a “church”, hell yeah. This is not a religious institution, the devil is in my logo. I have had people come into my shop, shocked, because they had a different idea in mind of what my studio embodied. I love religious iconography, I mean the Virgin Mary is the most iconic figure in the western world and has huge ties to tattoo culture. I think there is so much beauty in it whether or not you are religious. All I want is to create a safe space for my angels to get tattooed in.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question, if my best friend was visiting and I wanted to show them the best time ever, baby first we are going to Desnudo and getting a ‘toasted miso’ (brown sugar miso latté) and we just ordered tacos in the same food truck park at Veracruz. Then we go a little out of the way, but we are going knick knack shopping so I hope you brought an extra suitcase for your trinkets because we are going to North Loop and heading right on over to Room Service and then over to Uncommon Objects and talking about the items that we see that we think are most definitely haunted. Then we are getting cocktails at The Carpenter while we dream up our dream mid-century modern home. We then end the night getting some comfort food at Bouldin Creek Café and mini golf at Peter Pan.

Next morning (rest of the mornings, let’s be real) we are going to Desnudo, that is the only coffee place that exists in my eyes. We are going to Cidercade and playing the Terminator with a hand-santized hand holding a slice of pizza in the other, then we are walking SoCo and complaining about paying to back angle park. We go and get drinks at Summer House and then go see the peacocks at Mattie’s and we are ordering take-out and watching something that makes us laugh.

Third day, we are going on a walk on Town Lake and getting a Desnudo along the way. We get home and change and go soak up the sun at Barton Springs and walk over to Casa de Luz and have ourselves a healthy little lunch. Then we go home, hammam, hang out with my dog Hazelnut and then ride bikes to Wheatsville and go get a popcorn tofu po’ boy; if you haven’t, it’s a must.

Fourth day, we are waking up early and picking up bagels from Rockstar and going vintage shopping. We have a movie at Alamo on South Lamar at 4pm where we order cauliflower wings and beer and after that we go to Thai Fresh and spend $50 on the best dessert. After this we give our IMDb rating, chat and call it a night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout my mom for encouraging me to take the leap and follow my dream of becoming a tattoo artist. I have always been in my own way and she has helped me find a way through my own obstacles when I am feeling stuck. She actually purchased my first “stick and poke” kit on Amazon in front of me when we were having lunch one day when I was visiting El Paso and I was opening up to her about feeling lost in my career. I was a muralist before I was a tattoo artist and when the pandemic hit I decided it was time for a shift, but naturally I was afraid to do so. She has always known this was my dream and her doing that in that very moment truly changed everything for me.

Website: https://church-tattoo.com/

Instagram: @michelinehalloween @church_tattoo_

Image Credits
Paola Portilla (cover photo) and Ryan Hill (me tattooing his wife laying on the bed).