Manny has tattooed all over the world, 'but there's nowhere like Blayney' (2025)

Emanuele "Manny" Naso began his tattooing career almost a decade ago in his hometown in Italy. Since then, he has travelled all over the world but struggled to find somewhere to settle.

Now he has found a studio that feels more like home than any other, but it's not where you would expect.

For the past three months, he has been working from Goldrush Collective Tattoos in Blayney, and it's where he plans to stay.

The studio, which is owned by legendary tattoo artist Jamie Fallon, otherwise known as Jamie Giant, is located on Adelaide Street, the town's main thoroughfare.

"Jamie saw my art on my flash and said that my painting was amazing," he said.

That's when he was invited for a guest spot at Goldrush.

Since Mr Naso first started tattooing there three months ago, and quickly fell in love with everything the small town had to offer.

"I stayed for a week, and then after that week I thought, 'why not stay a bit longer?', and I ended up staying for three months," Mr Naso said.

"When I came here, I just saw how beautiful it is; the landscape. The landscape is very similar to Tuscany actually, all the hills and all the fields.

"Plus, I didn't know that Orange was very famous for wine, and I love wine, I'm Italian, you know? So, I just kept staying longer and longer and longer, I love it."

Since working in Blayney, Mr Naso has been sharing his skills in colour tattooing with the community, and the other artists at Goldrush Collective.

In turn, he has been learning from his peers and branching out into other styles, including lettering and black and white.

It's having the opportunity to build this rapport with his clients, and other artists, that's part of the reason that he's fallen so in love with Blayney.

"In Melbourne I was tattooing in a walk-in tattoo shop, with a lot of tourists that just come and go, but when I came here, people after a week would ring me up and say 'I want another tattoo'," he said.

"Seeing the same customers, and being able to build a tattoo together and have the discussions, I love it."

The vibe, the food, and the wine

But, overall for Mr Naso, the best thing about the Blayney studio is the "vibe."

"I've worked in the United States, in Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, and every shop I've worked in was good, but there's something about being in Blayney ... the vibe is amazing," he said.

"It's the vibe, and the food and the wine, and it feels like home in Italy.

"I know it sounds crazy but sometimes a mix between customers, co-workers, and when you find the good crew, my suggestion is to stick with them."

And that's exactly what Mr Naso plans to do.

Though he will be moving to Queensland to tattoo in a guest spot for a short period, he plans to come back to Blayney as soon as possible.

"I will be back, for sure, all my customers here are asking when I will be back," he said.