He’s the only guy who gets under Aaron Rodgers’ skin.
But the Jets QB loves Brooklyn tattoo artist Balazs Bercsényi for it.
“First tattoo. From the ???? himself @balazsbercsenyi
Grateful for his mastery and friendship,” Rodgers gushed at the time on Instagram — showing off the intricate tattoo on his left forearm in July 2022.
The piece included three astrological signs: Aquarius to the right, Sagittarius in the middle [both in tribute to his godsons], and Scorpio on the far left.
“There’s a deep and meaningful story and connection to absolutely each element of this art piece, and I’ll share a little more about that one day. For now, just thankful for @balazsbercsenyi and his patience and artistry. #tattoo #astrology #theelements #.”
It’s not surprising that the Zen-like Rodgers, 39, found a connection with the Pécs, Hungary-born, bohemian Bercsényi, 34, whose A-list clients include actor Orlando Bloom, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton and runway model Winnie Harlow.
Bercsényi’s work is “heavily influenced by ancestral practices and ritual, spirituality, sacred geometry, the occult, and sculpture,” according to his website, which notes his expertise is “single needle and fine line black and grey talisman tattoos.”
“I love the artist. I’d known him for awhile and it was just divine timing,” Rodgers told the NFL Network. “I was in Europe in between a couple of trips. He [lived] in Hungary and everything kind of came together to have that thing put on my arm. I took it very seriously because that thing is on there forever.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Bercsenyi — who now boasts nearly 500,000 Instagram followers — was washing dishes in a London restaurant, 6sqft.com reported.
He was discovered less than a decade ago when another tattoo artist who “encountered him drawing the intricate, fine line designs” uttered, “You should become a tattoo artist!”
Bercsényi took his “shot” to get to the Big Apple when he answered an ad to work at the legendary Bang Bang tattoo shop on the Lower East Side, where he honed his craft before going solo.
“I saw that Keith [“Bang Bang” McCurdy] posted on Instagram that the studio was hiring artists. I sent my portfolio in, and that was that! Eight months later I was moving to NYC,” he told 6sqft in 2017.
He settled in Williamsburg.
Like Rodgers, Bercsényi quickly embraced his adopted home.
“New York City is much bigger, more expensive, way faster, and far more diverse than Budapest,” Bercsényi continued. “Budapest is a beautiful, historic city with older architecture and style. It’s a little more laid back I’d say. There’s no other city like NYC.”
Bercsényi declined to be interviewed, but a spokeswoman said the artist “is not currently based out of anywhere in particular, he is traveling around the world, offering availability and making announcements a few months in advance.”