The year 1969 marked the birth of Steven Johnson in Chula Vista, California. In the early 1970s, his father, a senior chief in the navy, got tattoos by legendary Bob Shaw at 22 S Chestnut Place in Long Beach (currently known as Outer Limits, the longest continuously running parlor in the United States). His father’s […]
Category: Art
Interview with Lena Fedchenko on Botanical Tattoos
Lena Fedchenko, born in 1987 in Yartsevo, a small town in the far Western region of Russia, relocated to the suburbs of Moscow at the age of 17 and later to the city itself at the age of 22. She graduated from Dubna International University in 2010 with a Sociology degree. After working in the […]
Looking into the Soul: Q&As with Tattooist Yoshi
Yoshihiro Sakaguchi (Yoshi) was born in 1988 in the coastal inlet city of Kagoshima, Japan. His family relocated to South Korea when he was only one year old. In primary school, he was a wrestler (in the traditional style of Ssireum) and left the team in middle school, which resulted in significant weight gain and […]
The Tattoo Art of Chou Chou Incorporates Enigmatic Eyeballs
Chou Chou’s mother stated that during her childhood, she had no other interest besides drawing relentlessly. She completed her secondary education in art and subsequently earned a degree in Western painting from a Korean university. Her initial job was teaching high school pupils art as they prepared for collegiate entrance exams. Afterward, she instructed middle […]
A Conversation with Eddy Reyes Sr, a Tattoo Icon in Chicano Culture
Although South California (especially Los Angeles) was already known for black-and-gray prison-style tattooing, in North California, Eddy Reyes Sr popularized Chicano art by mixing aspects of Mexican culture, religion, and history with the street vibe of the West Coast of the United States. His meticulously crafted body art, made with fine-line needles, displays a delicate […]
An Interview with Woohwa about her Remarkable Fine-Line Tattoos
Korean culture has significantly contributed to the world through cinema, music, and cuisine. Likely an element of the “Korean Wave,” which debuted in popular culture in the late 1990s, this “Wave” has now entered its third generation. Their diligence, abundance of talent, and consistency have earned them a stellar reputation. The same characteristics are exhibited […]
Dareum’s Tattoos Feature Oil Pastel Depiction
1994 marked the birth of Da Hye Lee (aka Dareum) in Cheongju, South Korea. Her family relocated to Seoul during childhood, and she has remained there ever since. After deciding early on that visual and fashion design was not her calling, she abandoned her undergraduate major to pursue a career as a tattoo artist. She […]
A Talk with Gyan about His Tattoos That Look Like Etchings
Gyan, a 31-year-old from Seoul, studied graphic design in college and later worked in a studio producing posters, books, and videos. He worked as a freelance illustrator before becoming a tattoo artist a few years ago. His love for drawing and imagery led him to believe he could translate well to tattooing, and he gets […]
The Universal Code: An Interview with Tattooist Mikhail Nechaev
Mikhail Nechaev is based in Germany and frequently travels to tattoo guest spots across Europe. 2014 marked his graduation from a technical university with a degree in Electrical Equipment and Power Supply Engineering for Enterprises, Organizations, and Institutions. As a former executive chef of a high-end Japanese restaurant, he believed that becoming a tattoo artist […]
Madame Chinchilla and Mr G: Triangle Tattoo & Museum
Tattoo enthusiasts must visit Triangle Tattoo & Museum in Fort Bragg on the Mendocino County coast of California. Madame Chinchilla and Mr G, tattoo artists, industry historians, and life partners, founded this space in 1986. Both had trained under Bert Rodriguez, a Mexican-American tattoo artist who started a Santa Rosa studio in 1978 and the Tattoos & […]