My guest today is a young man who is making his way in the world of modelling. Situated between L.A and London, his is a life that moves at quite a pace. His instagram profile has amassed over 38500 followers. He is fast becoming famous for his tattoos as well as his good looks. There’s no getting away from how much he looks like a younger version of his celebrity chef father and I am curious to find out more about this young man and his body art. Ladies and gentlemen I bring you Marco Pierre White Jr.

Hello Marco and welcome to TBUR, for those who are unaware of who you are please give a brief introduction.

First of all I’d like to thank you for the opportunity you have given me to present myself to those who know me and to those who don’t know me. My name is Marco Pierre White junior, son of the well-known celebrity chef Marco Pierre White. I am 20 years old and describe myself as a very creative individual, I love art and photography, I have spent several years modelling in different places, London, Los Angeles, and New York. My image reflects my individuality and eccentric artistic background, I sport many tattoos all telling a little about my life, my values and my aspirations, my body is my life story. I love painting and I express my life and feelings through my signature “bleeding heart” for those who haven’t  seen it, you will be soon as my brand is soon to kick off with my partner Ollie Twist. I truly enjoy modelling and all the challenges I face as modelling is a demanding profession where you have to be able to personify the image they ask you to personify, it’s a bit like acting, and it is also a form of art. For these very reasons I enjoy modelling, it appeals to me as a person in every respect.

Thanks Marco. What inspired the name, Bleeding Heart?

There is a really deep meaning in the “bleeding heart symbol” it represents my childhood, it is a way to express my pain and memories. The colours are an expression of my colourless childhood, the dribbles of ink represent the blood in the bleeding heart as I say  “you cannot break what has already been broken ” therefore the heart is bleeding. It simply cannot heal itself while I hide behind the tears of a clown. I do not regret my childhood even though I would have wished for a better one because it made me the person I am today.

However there has always been a presence of the press and media around our family, but of course as a young man I always enjoyed the red carpet events around the world. I know now that this isn’t a normal upbringing for most people, but it’s been my normal.

Do you think the pain in your signature manifests itself in your artwork both on the canvas and your body and if so how?

Yes, it does, emotional pain needs to be exteriorised in order to be seen by others, on canvas as a form of static art and on my body as a reminder of what I feel, that way I am forced to deal with those emotions and pains that eventually leads to a feeling of melancholic numbness. This numbness is the greatest killer of all, as for someone my age, I should not need to numb my emotions or pains. I should cherish emotions and not suppress them for fear of more pain. Everyday I am reminded of my emotions and pains by the mere sight of my many tattoos and everyday I grow number to the pain they represent and the story they tell. The fact that the process of tattooing itself can be rather painful is almost like blood letting, it’s therapeutic to me as a person.

It’s an understatement to call you an expressive personality, have you always found it easy to wear your heart on your sleeve?

There was a time when I wore my heart on my sleeve, but in the world we live in today it’s hard to get somewhere, or be someone, with letting people in. I’ve learnt that the less people you let in, the fewer chances you have of being let down. After a past of being let down by those closest to me, including family, it’s easier for me to keep people at arms length and not let anyone get close enough to hurt me again.

Would you say you have low expectations of people as a result?

No, I don’t have low expectations of people, but by not letting people get close to me I also don’t give them an opportunity to prove otherwise.

My image reflects my individuality and eccentric artistic background, I sport many tattoos all telling a little about my life, my values and my aspirations, my body is my life story.

As mentioned earlier you do modelling, how did that start?

Growing up I was always around cameras so have naturally felt comfortable in front of them. Because of that I started doing shoots for friends who were doing photography courses. Then by chance I was found and scouted by my current managers that I still use to this day.

Your Instagram profile demonstrates how comfortable you are in front of the camera. With over 38000 followers you’re proving quite popular. What do you think draws so many people to your profile?

I think that carrying my family’s name definitely helped me to gain traction in the beginning, but now, as I’m starting to carve a name for myself people from around the world are following me without knowing who my family is.

There’s no denying that the family name opens doors. How do you find it serves you in the professional modelling world?

In the professional modelling world, a good name can help you get a place with an agency, but after that it’s all up to the model to be able to get bookings and become well known.

It’s difficult for me to relax often, because it’s hard for anyone to relax when they have a lot on their plate. The only time you’ll see me slip or trip is when I’m spending time with my little sister, who means the world to me and I’d never want her to see that guarded side of me.

I find your work very interesting. Do you have a hand in directing your shoots?

Yes, I definitely do have a hand in directing my shoots. I’m very particular with the looks that I like, and want to be portrayed in a way that highlights me as a person. I like to produce something at the end of a shoot that no one else could do, and makes people look twice.

Your tattoos really stand out in the shots. In the past, mainstream models rarely showed any body ink but now it’s more visible. What do you think has caused this change in the modelling world?

I think that tattoos are becoming more and more socially acceptable in our day and age, they are even appreciated by the artistic world. Photographers therefore can put tattooed models in their work and be praised for it, rather than being chastised for it.

Which is a good thing, how many tattoos do you have and what started the love affair with body art?

To be honest Munir, I no longer count. They’ve all merged into one piece for me at this point. I’ve never been good at waiting for things, so someone telling me I couldn’t have something until I was 18 made the idea even more enticing. Not only that, but knowing that I could put my own art onto myself made me want them even more.

Wisdom is something that comes with age, and even though I’ve always been pretty sharp I know I definitely have more mistakes to make and more lessons to learn.

Some people have a significant masterpiece they are waiting to put on their body, have you got yours yet if so (and if not) what is it?

I do have a significant masterpiece that I’ve been working on, which is a full back piece based on a ‘Twisted Disney’ but I don’t want to say much about the piece because I want to keep it a surprise for my followers.

Sounds really cool, can’t wait to see it. What was life like growing up as the son of a famous chef?

I wasn’t fazed by it growing up, obviously it meant that some people treated me differently than if my father had a career that wasn’t in the spotlight. However there has always been a presence of the press and media around our family, but of course as a young man I always enjoyed the red carpet events around the world. I know now that this isn’t a normal upbringing for most people, but it’s been my normal.

Very true. When you’ve eaten food prepared by Marco Pierre White, is everything else a downgrade? Also does he make a good fry up?

Not at all. I enjoy simple things in life like my grandma’s cooking, it’s not michelin starred, fancy, or posh, just made with love. I’ve been to some of the best restaurants around the world and had some terrible meals, because anyone can open up a restaurant, make it fancy and put a big price tag, but it’s difficult to create something that people genuinely enjoy eating. I think his fry ups are without question.

What does the future hold for you in terms of your art and the modelling?

In the next year I will hopefully be opening up my own gallery on Berwick Street in Soho, where I will be displaying my own canvases and sculptures. As for my modelling I’m not exactly Mr. Clean Cut, so it’s more what the industry wants from me than what I want from it, but it is still something that I want to explore further.

Watch this space. What would you like to call your art gallery?

I’d love to be able to share, but as it’s still in the beginning stages I want to keep it a secret, but the name will be revealed over my Instagram account in the coming months.

You have a very wise head on your shoulders. Have you always been that way?

Wisdom is something that comes with age, and even though I’ve always been pretty sharp I know I definitely have more mistakes to make and more lessons to learn. Growing up in the environment that I did, you wouldn’t last long if you didn’t keep your eye on the ball. This is a lesson I hope to carry with me throughout my life.

I like to produce something at the end of a shoot that no one else could do, and makes people look twice.

You obviously do have to have your guard up, when it’s down, how do you like to relax?

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I do want to let my guard down but can’t because of the reputation I have. It’s difficult for me to relax often, because it’s hard for anyone to relax when they have a lot on their plate. The only time you’ll see me slip or trip is when I’m spending time with my little sister, who means the world to me and I’d never want her to see that guarded side of me.

I understand fully why you can’t let your guard down. When you mention reputation, what are you referring to?

no comment

No worries. Marco, I’ve enjoyed hanging out with you and wish you the very best of luck in your endeavours. Any final words for my readers?

Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I wish you the best and there will be an invite to the gallery with your name on it. To all the readers, I hope you enjoyed reading this interview and getting to know me better. All the best.

MPW

To get a first glimpse of Marco’s tattoo, keep up with his modelling work and see some of his art head over to his Instagram.