We’re looking forward to introducing you to Miguel Manrique Chirinos. Check out our conversation below.
Miguel, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Collecting toys and spending time with family
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Miguel “Murino” Manrique, a Peruvian-born multimedia artist and tattooer based in New York City. I divide my time between tattooing at InkNation and developing Leche de Tigre, an independent art and design magazine I co-founded to highlight creative work from Peru and beyond. My practice moves between tattooing, illustration, and small-batch art toys, often blending anime influences with traditional visual languages. I’m also focused on building bridges between the creative communities in New York and my hometown Arequipa, keeping my work grounded in the stories and cultural references that shaped me.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was in school, when my classmates told me I drew well. What mattered wasn’t that I was young, but that they were my peers, kids my age who had no filters or hidden intentions. Their honest recognition made it feel real, and it was the first time I understood what drawing meant to me.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
The tension between the expectations I had, both from the world and from myself, and the reality I actually faced. That discrepancy was hard to navigate. But it showed me that even with big dreams, you also have to learn how to reconcile yourself with the parts of life that don’t go as planned or don’t feel ideal, and still find a way to move forward.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I try to make the public version of me as real as possible. The main difference is confidence, I make an effort to show more of it with clients so they feel secure and can trust the process when we start a project. But the core of who I am stays the same.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I wouldn’t say I’m doing what I was “born” to do, but I am doing what I wanted to do. I was fortunate to have a family that supported my decisions, even in moments when I wasn’t completely sure of them myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Murinotattoos.com
- Instagram: murino.ttt
- Other: tiktok:murino.ttt
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