No matter what you needed, Isaac Fainkujen found a way to be there and many knew him as a person who could make a unique connection with everyone he met.
The longtime Valley visual and tattoo artist died on March 20th. He was 44 years old.
Fainkujen is survived by his brother Seth and sister Bonny Fainkujen, as well as many family members and friends.
“He found a way to connect with everyone he spoke to, whether it was the gas station clerk, people were comfortable with him and opened up to him,” Bonny said.
“I’ve had people in the US, Germany, and Spain tell me stories about their unique, special connection they had with Isaac. Everything he did shaped people in a different way. “
A memorial for Fainkujen will take place at a later date. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched at gofundme.com/f/isaac-fainkujen-memorial-fund to help the family with their expenses.
Fainkujen was known for his tattoo and graffiti art
Fainkujen was a pillar in the Phoenix art scene. Earlier this week, courtesy of his friend and fellow tattoo artist Alex Ramirez, large images of Fainkujen and his artwork were projected onto the Renaissance hotel in downtown Phoenix.
Fainkujen, known for his graffiti and tattoo arts, was also a fine arts painter who learned to draw at a young age. Bonny said when he was too young to draw he would ask others to draw for him so he could watch.
Most recently he was a longtime tattoo artist at Fifth Estate Tattoo in Gilbert. Fainkujen was also a member of the legendary Nitty Gritty crew of Arizona graffiti artists founded by Lalo Cota in the 1990s. The group also includes the artists El Mac, Pablo Luna and Mando Rascón.
Fainkujen was a world traveler
From painting graffiti on the walls to drawing ink on the skin, friends Rascón and Fainkujen were inseparable for 26 years.
“It’s a big loss because we all painted together. He’s done graffiti all over the city and all over the world, ”said Rascón.
The world traveler spent most of his life in Phoenix and Tempe and graduated from Phoenix Central High School. He also studied at the Florence Academy in Italy.
“He was a super articulate intelligent person. Really headstrong, really smart, and just plain wise. The way he approached something was that he had to learn all about it, ”said Rascón.
“He’s had so many experiences and the ability to influence so many people’s lives because he took the time to explore and appreciate the world,” added Bonny.
Fainkujen had a deep love for nature, from animals to insects he encouraged his nephew to catch outside and take them with him.
Fainkujen tattooed barefoot to feel more grounded.
He walked to the beat of his own drum, in his own “Isaac time”, and when he was tattooing he was not wearing shoes. Though he loved Nike sneakers.
“Every time he got a tattoo he came in with new Nikes and every time he had to take off his Nikes and just tattoo in his socks,” said Rascon.
“He told me, ‘I just feel more grounded’.”
Although he was a painter, he did not put a lot of his artwork online. Bonny said she hopes to find a way how his artwork can continue to inspire the community.
“We are so grateful, blessed, and honored by the pouring of love and generosity that everyone has shown our family and the store,” said Bonny.
“They always say that nobody knows an artist until they’re gone. And you know, I hate that. But in this situation, I’ll make sure everyone knows who they are because they deserve it and their talent deserves to be recognized and seen by everyone. “
Elizabeth Montgomery is an arts and culture reporter for the Republic of Arizona, azcentral.com. Reach them at [email protected] or 602-444-8764. Follow her on Twitter @emontnews.
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