Our Italian Contributor Ilaria went to Rome Tattoo Convention, this is the diary of her visit, including the incredible artists she met along the way…
“The International Tattoo Expo Rome was held from 8th to 10th May 2015. I could not resist, so I went there on Sunday, the last day…
“It is one of the biggest tattoo conventions in the world, where you can meet 300 international tattoo artists, from St. Petersburg, Beijing and Austin to Las Vegas, Montreal and London. The artists are very prestigious, and the convention allows the curious to get tattooed by their idols: for example, Sarah Miller, star of the US television show Ink Master, the phenomenon of Los Angeles Matt Arriola or the artists coming from the famous Lowrider Tattoo Studios.
“During last year’s convention, actress Asia Argento had marched on stage showing off her brand new tattoo done by Marco Manzo, as a competitor in the 2014 Tattoo Contest. This year Marco Manzo is still bringing his Haute Couture tattoos to the tattoo scene – feminine black lace inked onto skin. Last February, he also presented his tattooed clients at Maxxi Museum, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome. It was a success and a great step towards the acknowledgement of tattoo as an art form.
“Next I met Miss Juliet and Fabio Gargiulo, who created two limited editions prints to help Nepal earthquake victims. The proceeds will be donated to the appeal, and they will go on selling these artworks at other tattoo conventions: Naples, Athens, Milan and Cagliari. I think this is a strong and wise action, and the tattoo community has once again demonstrated sensitivity to world emergencies.
Miss Juliet and Fabio Gargiulo
“Walking around, I spotted so many new artists and I had the opportunity to meet some amazing people. Here are four people I was super happy to see:
David Côté. He is a young graphic designer and tattoo artist from Montreal, Canada. His psychedelic tattoos are stunning, and he is really a kind guy. Here is what he created during the convention.
Denis Elice. He is from Turin, Italy. I think you should keep an eye on him. He has clear ideas and his tattoos evidence this. Whales, sailors, roses, these are only some of his subjects. His style is black traditional, but with a very personal touch.
Chad Koeplinger. Well, he is one of the greats. Here are some of his tattoos from the convention.
Nicoz Balboa: (yep, after three men, we have a powerful woman!) She is an illustrator and her works on skin are simply beautiful, I think she has the right sense of balance between colour and subject, and she is great in freehand tattoo.
“Tattoo conventions always make me feel at home, and I think this is the best feeling ever. No judgments but only love and admiration for tattoos and art (that, to me, are just the same thing).”
Style and tattoo spotting at Liverpool Tattoo Convention, 16-17 May 2015 at The Adelphi Hotel. Here are a few of our favourite people at the convention and a selection of their tattoos…
Name: Sophie Brown / Age: 21 / Job: Tattooist at Forever Ink Warrington
Tattoos: Dagger and lady on left back calf by Chris Hayes, Perfume bottle and lady on arm by Danny Edwards at Forever Ink,Lady on right calf by Chris Martini
Name: Natalie @superelevated / Age: 33 / Lives: Sheffield / Job: Lecturer in fashion industry
The International Paris Tattoo Convention, or as the French say Mondial du Tatouage, was held at the Grande Halle de la Villette from the 6th to the 8th March 2015. The venue was vast and for one weekend only filled with internationally renowned tattoo artists creating works of art on the skin… Unfortunately we couldn’t attend the event ourselves (maybe next year), but we enlisted a couple of photographers to document the event for us.
Style and tattoo spotting at the Tattoo Tea Party, in Manchester. By editor Alice Snape and managing editor Keely Reichardt.
Check out these photos from the Tattoo Tea Party in Manchester. We love people watching, and these gorgeous people caught our eye! Check out their tattoos below…
Our first style spot of the convention was this lovely lady!
Name: Patti Cakes Age: 25 Job: Makeup artist Tattoos: Perfume bottle by Dean Reilly at Hello Sailor, Blackpool, blusher brush by Rich Warburton, lipstick by Mikee Cue at Mint Gun Club
Perfume bottle by Dean Reilly at Hello Sailor
Blusher brush by Rich Warburton
Lipstick by Mikee Cue at Mint Gun Club
We noticed Salli’s awesome style while she was getting tattooed at the booth opposite our stand by Lauren from Redwood Tattoo Studio in Manchester.
Name: Salli Age: 23 Location: Stoke on Trent Job: Insurance Adviser Tattoos: Chest and arm by Matt Webb
Chest and arm by Matt Webb
Fresh tattoo on leg by Lauren at Redwood Tattoo Studio, Manchester.
We spotted Jess’s awesome upper arm tattoo by Crispy Lennox and couldn’t resist asking her what other tattoos she had hidden…
Name: Jess Age: 23 Job: Piercer Location: Newark, Nottingham Tattoos: Upper arm by Crispy Lennox, forearm and neck by Tiny Miss Becca, hands by Adriaan Machete.
Arm by Crispy Lennox
Arm by Tiny Miss Becca
Hands by Adriaan Machete
We spotted Georgia’s amazing portrait by Emma Kierzek and had to pap her…
Name: Georgia Age: 23 Location: Preston Job: Works in Retail Tattoos: Portrait by Emma Kierzek, Aurora Tattoo, back of legs by Valerie Vargas
Portrait by Emma Kierzek
Back of legs by Valerie Vargas
Which other tattoo conventions will you be attending this year? Let us know and maybe we will be there to spot your style…
Here at Things&Ink magazine, conventions are our favourite… like being in a tattoo bubble… we can spend forever searching for artists, and looking at their back catalogue of work. So we’ve compiled this little round-up of some of our favourite artists who are attending the Brighton Tattoo Convention this year, with reasons why we like them. Hopefully we’ll see some of you at the convention, as we will have a stand there all weekend, and you can let us know if you agree with our picks – and crucially who you think we missed…
Kid Kros from Casa Occulta in Split, Croatia @Kidkros “I love his animals, they range from unbelievably cute to downright frightening, but always intriguing and he perfectly captures their latent personalities. His detailing is mesmerising, especially his jewellery inspired pieces and he’s really finding his feet style wise.” Rosie
Rafaela @rafaela2die4 Tattooing at ‘To die for tattoo’ Leverkusen, Germany “Rafaela continues to create beautiful women but with a sadness in their eyes that captures my soul. Her colour palette is divine, a wash with pinks and blues, whose depths reflect the tone of the piece.” Rosie
Alix Ge, France @alixge “I love the way Alix Ge experiments with style and inspiration, including Japanese influences and a more traditional range of colours. Her women are soft with almost plump faces, as if they have been plucked from period dramas, forever suspended in time on someone’s skin. Definitely on my tattoo wish list!” Rosie
“Alix Ge is someone I am saving the top of my arm for (this is a big deal for me, as I used to not want my arms tattooed at all)! I love the romantic expressions on her lady faces and the rosy coloured cheeks she gives them. Her style is really interesting in the way she mixes traditional Japanese with beautiful soft women’s faces who look like they have stepped straight out of a Jane Austen novel!” Keely
Greggletron @greggletron, Scapegoat Tattoo, Portland USA
“He’s just one of the many incredible talents that work out of Scapegoat in Portland (I would get tattooed by all of them). Greggltron uses such a beautiful palette of colours, reds, warm colours that have a wonderful vintage vibe – kind of traditional with his own twist. The girls he creates are stunning and their eyes are hypnotic.” Alice
Danielle Rose, The Illustration Issue cover star and travelling tattoo artist @DanielleRoseTattoo “Danielle Rose was our cover star for ‘The Illustration Issue’ and has become one of the most sought after artists of the last 18 months. I have a Larry David portrait by her from 2013, which is still one of my favourite tattoos. She is particularly well known for her weeping lady faces who have all been characterised into different scenarios – the beekeeper, the punk rocker, even a Marie Antoinette lookalike!” Keely
Big Sleeps, LA @bigsleeps
“The godfather of lettering all the way from Los Angeles… Big Sleeps is your go-to man if you want some bold yet beautifully crafted words!” Keely
Matthew Gordon, Berlin, Germany, @Matthew_Gordon
“Matt is currently working on my butterfly lady backpiece, I love how he creates huge pieces that really work on the body. I was first drawn to his work when I saw the front piece that he did on my friend Celine.” Alice
Miss Juliet, Don’t Tell Mama
“I love her ornate and beautiful style, her work is instantly recognisable and the way she creates shapes from hundreds of small lines is amazing.” Rosie
Araceli 4ever, London UK @araceli_4ever
“I have loved watching Araceli grow into her own style as a tattoo artist. I knew her before she started her apprenticeship and she has really come into her own, and created a style that is just hers. She is super-lovely and a beautiful person too.” Alice
Andrea Furci, Seven Doors, London, UK @andreafurci
“Andrea did one of my first ever tattoos (a cameo on my wrist), I love his bold traditional style.”
Bugs, USA
“I love Bug’s style, it is so artistic and unusual and looks like a fusion of cubism, art deco and classical art. A true artist” Alice
David Corden, Edinburgh, UK
“David Corden is an incredible portrait tattoo artist, the likeness he manages to create is just out of this world.” Alice
Also look out for Things&Ink cover stars – past and present: Brian Wilson, Delphine Noiztoy, (stripped back) Wendy Pham (The Identity Issue), Grace Neutral (The Modification Issue) and Tiny Miss Becca (The Celebration Issue)…
Time to party with two of the tattoo world’s leading ladies, Amy Savage and Tiny Miss Becca
Space Elf Grace Neutral on the cover of issue 6 – which launched at last year’s Brighton Tattoo Convention
Come and see us at our stand at the convention! And find out if our anatomy issue cover star is also tattooing at The Brighton Tattoo Convention 2015… we cannot wait, see you there?
