Posts

Posted on

Tattoo conventions are back

We’ve definitely missed going to tattoo conventions over the last couple of years. We love finding new artists, the buzz (excuse the pun) and of course getting a new tattoo or two. But do the tattoo artists working at conventions feel the same?

We spoke to some of the artists at this year’s Vancover Tattoo and Culture Show to find out if they love tattoo conventions as much as we do and they share some top tips for those who haven’t been to one yet…

Rachel Hofer @rach.tattoos, NEW EDGE INK COLLECTIVE™, Vancouver

Photo taken by Ania

I love tattoo conventions because I get to see all different kinds of artists and get inspired. Going to conventions really makes me feel part of the industry. It’s also a chance for me to promote my business to a diverse group of people.

Saying that working at conventions is quite chaotic! Not being in my normal work space or having limited equipment and supplies makes it difficult to stay organised.

I don’t mind the loud music and crowds of people though as it keeps it exciting. 

When I work a convention I sometimes I book people in but generally I prefer walk-ups, as it’s hard to know how long something will take so I usually stick to doing flash. 

If you’ve never been to a convention, expect lots of people and lots of art. There are usually shows on the stage and contests for various tattoo categories.

I’d also recomend that you:

  • Eat before you go unless you like $15 hotdogs!
  • Bring cash as most vendors don’t have debit/credit machines
  • Plan ahead if there is a specific artist you want to get tattooed by as they may be very busy. 

Matt Chaos @mattchaos_ttt, Black Circle – Tattoo Coven, Montreal and Lyon

Photo taken by Ania

For me conventions are more about connecting with artists I like the work of. Tattooing there isn’t the best obviously, it’s far from my comfort zone! But it’s a great opportunity to meet friends and artists from all over the world who are at the same place for a few days.

Conventions also help me to promote my work in new cities that I have never been to before.

The biggest challenge is breaking away from old habits while you tattoo.

There are a lot of people to talk to; it’s all about communication, as you have to be everywhere at the same time. Artists need to be fast and ready to go.

I used to work in a private by-appointment-only studio in Montreal so, I prefer to book in advance for conventions. Knowing what I’m doing each day better fits my flow. But sometimes I keep half a day to fit people in who want a flash design.

I think conventions for tattoo collectors are a good way to meet and discover artists from all over the world. It’s the opportunity to book in with someone who lives on the other side of the planet.

For young artists it’s the best way to show your art to a lot of people in one place, it’s like social media but in real life.

Nathan Ross @discopotatoes , HandCrafted Tattoo & Fine Art, Edmonton

Photo taken by Ania

I love that the culture of tattooing becomes so alive at conventions. They showcase so much talent, including those that are outside the medium of our craft.

There are painters, musicians, entertainers and unique retailers – everywhere amazing things are being created in all forms to make an impact and inspire.

Over the years you learn to balance and juggle the challenges of working at conventions.

You overcome the struggles of working on a client while talking to potential clients, as well as applying a stencil or tattooing in front of multiple peers and people! There’s some adjustment needed to work the long hours, it’s important to eat properly throughout the show.

This piece titled “Night Owl” was done at the Vancouver Tattoo and Culture Show

Personally I love booking large scale pieces for multiple day sittings. But, I’m torn because having a custom flash board always means you can consistently tattoo your patterns and engage with the community.

For those who have never been to a convention consider this; “Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” These shows help you gain inspiration in multiple ways no matter who you are or what stage of life you’re in.

Do you love going to tattoo conventions? Let us know!

Posted on

Apprentice love: Beth Kweeday

We instantly fell in love with the fun and bright tattoos Beth Kweeday creates at Bold As Brass Tattoo Company, Liverpool. We caught up with the tattoo apprentice to find out more about her style and life as an apprentice…

How long have you been apprenticing and how did you get your apprenticeship? I’ve been apprenticing since September 2020! I can’t give too much away, but I pretty much dedicated my entire last year of university to building a portfolio for apprenticeship hunting. So I had a good stack of work I could put towards it (I don’t think my uni tutors were very happy about it, but oh well). 

What drew you to the tattoo world? My mum, mostly. She has been getting tattooed for years and I would go with her to studios as much as I could. I was fascinated by it from a young age and couldn’t believe that people could make a living by putting cool art on people’s bodies, it blew my mind and I knew I didn’t want to do anything else! 

Can you tell us about your own tattoos and your first tattoo? I have quite a lot of tattoos, I got my first one at 17 and didn’t start getting any colour until I was 23, so I’m like 85% blackwork! My first tattoo was a little moth on the side of my ribs, done by Carole (@khan.juhoor) who I still love dearly, and I still love my tattoo!

I remember coming home after that trip and being the first one out of my friends to get tattooed and thinking I was the hottest shit EVER.

I also have a life size tattoo of a vegan sausage roll from Greggs, done by my mentor Rachel Baldwin, which is probably my favourite tattoo! 

Do you have a favourite tattoo experience? I have enjoyed all my tattoo experiences! I’m really lucky to be friends with a lot of the artists who’ve tattooed me, and they’ve all been amazing every time. Ones where I get to choose the music are always good though! 

How would you describe your style? I think I would describe my style as girlie traditional? I do a lot of fine line and blackwork stuff, but my biggest love is with bold lines and bright colours. Which is crazy because when I first got my apprenticeship, I had NO interest in colour whatsoever.

I was convinced I was going to be doing a lot of solid black, almost ignorant kind of tattooing. But, I guess apprenticing under Nick and Rachel Baldwin opened me up to a whole new style of tattooing and now I couldn’t be happier with where my work is going! 

What inspires you and what do you like to tattoo? I’m inspired by a lot of things, the people I work alongside, my friends and family, traditional tattooing, flowers and anything botanical, absolutely loads.

I love tattooing lots of things, I love doing fine line work, blackwork, colour, everything! But my favourite would just be anything where I can tattoo a bold line. Top tier satisfaction feeling, honestly. 

You do handpoke and machine tattooing, do you have a favourite? I love hand poking and machine for different reasons. I find handpoke tattooing very therapeutic and I totally appreciate the fact that it’s a preference to those looking to get tattooed.

But, because of the style of work I draw, machine tattooing is definitely better for it! So I would have to say machine is my favourite. 

What’s been the best part of your apprenticeship so far and what have you found the hardest? I couldn’t pinpoint an exact moment in my apprenticeship that’s been my absolute favourite, there’s been a few wow moments though. Tattooing my first grapefruit, finally getting the hang of setting up a coil machine and tattooing my boyfriend who was the first real person I got to tattoo!

Also helping out at Brighton and Leeds tattoo conventions, I had never been to Brighton before so that was super exciting! The Leeds convention was actually held right outside my university accommodation, and it was a crazy moment looking at my old bedroom window and thinking that five years ago I had no idea I would be where I am today. That was a weird feeling! 

I haven’t found anything particularly hard apart from actually learning how to tattoo! It’s super challenging and I am always learning new things, the best part about it is that you’re always learning, no matter how long you’ve been doing it. But it’s the best job in the world. 

Be sure to follow Beth to see more of her awesome bold tattoos.

Posted on

Magic dimensions: Interview with Adriaan

Adriaan (@adriaan.machete) creates tattoo rituals in Berlin, Amsterdam and Hamburg. We chatted to the spiritual tattoo artist about his divine art and how tattooing allows him to tap into his higher self…

How long have you been a tattoo artist? I’ve been tattooing for around 15 years.

How have you seen the industry evolve since you began? It’s been such an incredible journey to witness. I love the way everything has evolved; from tattoo machines, to diverse color palettes, to the way tattooing has become an incredible art of expression and uniqueness.

Tattooing has evolved into a way of connecting all kinds of people with very different backgrounds.

How would you describe your work? I can describe it as my own expression of art, magick and energy on skin and canvas. It combines the aesthetics and exaltation of beauty, spirit and esotericism. I love tattooing contrasts and ornamental designs which decorate the anatomy of the human body.

Has your style changed? Yeah definitely. I feel that I have the same techniques and foundation of bold lines, strong colours and contrasted palettes. But what has definitely changed are the meanings and designs I create.

My style changed as my view of the world changed – I’m much more focused on the meaning of the designs now.

It feels as if the designs themselves want to be expressed into this world.

Sometimes I feel amazed at just what is wanting to be created and manifested. My works are similar to the beautiful mandalas Hindu and Buddhist monks create in the Himalayas by channeling these symbols directly from higher consciousness. I too can tap into and channel that energy to create beautiful art in this reality.

What inspires your tattoos and what do you like to create? I’m inspired by the beauty of this world. Beautiful paintings, beings, objects and nature are my favourite.

I’m also inspired by my personal journey and life story. I’m telling stories through my emotions, my learnings, my life, my personal growth and constant transformation. I feel that my tattoos also reflect exactly what I’m experiencing in that time of my life.

You introduced yourself to us as a spiritual tattooer, can you tell us more about this? In an intense part of my life I had a spiritual awakening triggered by a body and soul breakdown. In this hard time I had to go deeper into my inner world to find out what was happening to me. It was a beautiful transformation of my heart and soul.

I went in deep to find my conditionings, blockages and shadows and the more I found the more I changed my art.

At some point I questioned if tattooing was the right tool for me, but the answer from my heart and soul was yes. That it was always a tool for creating, healing and transformation. That I already choose this path at a soul level to help and expand consciousness in me and others.

Was there a turning point or experience that made you seek a more spiritual path? Yes, a series of very intense experiences in my life meant I reached the point where my personality came to its limit and broke. When it broke it felt like the whole world collapsed and I suddenly awakened to something completely new.

It was indeed painful in body and spirit, but something beautiful started to emerge. I started to feel more real; I explored who I really was without a personality and I started to learn and reparent myself with what I really wanted to know and be.

I changed my art and pushed my tattoos in a different direction. I started expressing my inner worlds in my art.

It was a full transformation which is still an ongoing process, it’s an eternal evolving of the soul.

How does your spirituality translate to your tattoos? It translates in form of shapes, symbols and energy. When I transformed, my art transformed as well, as I started drawing more elaborate designs.

I added new symbols and I used different colour palettes. When I did guest spots around the world my customers changed as well, they were more aware of themselves as if they were also mirroring how I felt inside.

Now when I’m tattooing I’m feeling the energy of the person and what needs to be open or changed. Tattooing helps open the energy system and the symbols used instantly transform consciousness.

It’s a beautiful thing to witness and how all of us, as human beings, are emotional, energetically and spiritual connected.

Do you see the act of tattooing and receiving a tattoo as a healing experience? Yes. At some point I started to reflect about tattooing itself and where it came from. It seems that ancient cultures used it as a form of ritual and they used symbolism in it. It was made by shamans or higher priests and priestesses, who had the purpose of healing and creating mágick.

I learned that when you’re getting new symbols of magick and power the physical pain and enduring this pain are part of the process to release energy. It’s also a tool to release karma and recycle ancestral energy.

These rituals were created not only to transform the energy of the person getting tattooed, but also for the person giving the tattoo. So, the shamans and higher priestesses were healing and expanding their consciousness as divinity channeled through them. When I understood this, my love for tattooing increased.

What’s been your proudest and happiest moment in your career so far? I remember when I started tattooing it was a very unknown and mysterious road. I felt that I needed to create my own art and truly believe in myself.

When I did I was surprised, that in a short time, I started tattooing at big conventions, winning awards and getting articles in magazines. This made me so proud and happy, I was grateful that I believed in myself and trusted my heart from the beginning.

Later in my career I felt I needed to change my art and I was nervous to show my spiritual side. As before I believed in myself and knew I needed to follow this path. Again I was surprised to feel so content and be successful.

I was travelling the world meeting amazing people, guesting in amazing shops and helping myself and others to heal and evolve our consciousness – this makes me feel so proud and happy.

How does tattooing align with yourself and the life you want to live? Years ago I went to India for a yoga teacher training and I started teaching yoga in Europe – it opened a new path for me and how I can manage energy.

I felt then that yoga and tattooing aligned in me and that they both complement each other. Tattooing ignites my creativity, outer expression, intuition and magick. Yoga ignites my concentration, balances my system, expands my breathing and my inner reflection.

It’s amazing to see how tattooing has been a powerful and healing path in my life. It has given me so much that I’m eternally grateful for.

Tattooing is a divine art which has shown me a beautiful way to some of the most magic dimensions.

Follow @adriaan.machete for more tattoos, travel dates and yoga.

Posted on

Reclaiming the Narrative – a new tattoo installation at the NMMC by Black and POC tattoo artists

We’re so excited to reveal that The National Maritime Museum Cornwall has opened a brand new temporary exhibition: British Tattoo Art: Reclaiming the Narrative, which is now open in Falmouth.

Reclaiming the Narrative features 14 pieces of artwork by Black and POC tattoo artists, all working in the UK today. The artworks represent a celebration of contemporary tattoo art on Black and brown skin. The installation forms a powerful artistic response to the museum’s critically-acclaimed 2017 exhibition Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed, which was the largest gathering of real objects and original tattoo artwork ever assembled in the UK. 

The artworks represent both a celebration of tattoo art – especially on Black and brown skin – and a thought-provoking and powerful challenge to National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s own cultural decision-making around the original 2017 exhibition, Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed. There were omissions (the 100 Hands for example were all created on white / male tattoo practise skin) and the exhibition should and could have been approached differently. There should have been more conversations – and this new addition to the exhibition is acknowledgment of that. It’s time for change, to admit where mistakes have been made.

These works are also intended as a positive intervention into a wider, necessary conversation around diversity of representation – historical and contemporary – in the story of British tattoo art. Reflecting on the original exhibition approach, these works have been commissioned to address omissions and cultural biases contained in the narrative of the 2017 exhibition, and are intended to be a direct  intervention into a wider, necessary and vital conversation around diversity of representation in the story of British tattoo art.

The installation has been guest curated by our editor Alice Snape (who also curated the 100 Hands, the centrepiece of the original exhibition) and created in partnership with lead artist Charissa Gregson aka Glasgow-based Tattoo artist Rizza Boo, of Shadow Work Tattoos. 

Lead artist Charissa Gregson with her tattooed torso, Starry Crown – which is the central piece of work in Reclaiming the Narrative

Here’s what Charissa Gregson / Rizza Boo, owner of Shadow Work Tattoos, Glasgow had to say about the exhibition:

“Following the brutal killing of George Floyd in 2020, people all over the world have been engaging in more conversations about social injustice, police brutality, institutional racism and anti-Blackness. We saw this echoed through the tattoo community with clients and tattooers sharing some of their experiences of anti-Blackness within the industry, ranging from subtle microaggressions to outright racism. There were conversations about the lack of appreciation and representation of black artists, insensitivity when tattooing cultural subject matter, the harmful effects of whitewashing photos of clients to fit a specific aesthetic and the general lack of knowledge and misinformation around tattooing darker skin.

“We know that representation matters. This exhibit feels like an important addition, showcasing the work of Black and POC tattooers, making sure we are included in this particular record of tattoo history. It is a small sign of progress that the plaques and silicone arms used in this project are now available in a slightly more diverse palette, which one would hope will continue to expand. Offering a wider range of colours, skin tones, so that even more people would see a representation of their skin included in an exhibition like this. 

“When asked to contribute to this project, it was obvious to me that we must get more artists involved. A single piece by one artist would only be the illusion of diversity and give a false impression of the cultural and artistic diversity that actually exists in our communities. Holding space for more artists and giving platform to their creativity gives a truer look at who is tattooing in Britain right now. With this project we seek to disrupt and challenge some of the misinformation, give voice to the individual artists and allow us to share some of our collective story.”

Reclaiming the Narrative is open now at the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall:

The exhibition includes:

Charissa Gregson’s tattooed torso, Starry Crown, which celebrates the Black female body and forms the centrepiece of the exhibition.


Additional designs on synthetic skin plaques including works from:

Manni K, Jolie Rouge
Natasha Jackson, Prophecy Tattoo and Piercing
Lord Montana-Blue, The Good Fight Tattoo
Sarah Louise Powell, Neon Wolf Tattoo Studio
Samantha Bee, INKLOUNGE Tattoo Studio 
Rakhee Shah, Xotica Tattoo Company 
Nish Rowe, Blu Xion Tattoo 
Jade Clark, Heart of Glass Tattoo
Samuel Ayobami Paul, Artkilledme
Ash Tyson, Ouroboros private studio  
Yasir, Fake Skin Tattoo
Jezz-lee Wood, Samsara Tattoo Parlour
Pedro, Grey Area Custom Tattoos

by Yasir, Fake Skin Tattoo
by Ash Tyson, Ouroboros private studio  
by Samuel Ayobami Paul, Artkilledme
Posted on

Natural lines: tattoo artist JOOJOO

Tattooist JOOJOO (Jinju Kim) creates delicate floral and linework tattoos at her studio in Hapjeong, Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to JOOJOO about tattooing as a form of self expression and spreading happiness through her art…

How long have you been tattooing and what made you want to become a tattooer? I started tattooing in 2018. My art and tattoos are the best way I can express myself. I’m a naturally timid person and can come across as shy, because I find talking about myself or talking directly to someone new difficult.

Tattooing was so attractive to me as it allows me to express myself exactly as I want to without feeling like I’m acting. I prefer other indirect forms of expression as well, such as fashion or sharing the music I listen to. Once I discovered tattooing I started to learn how to do it, there was no hesitation at all.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? There was a customer with a lot of painful memories, their arm was full of scars and she wanted to get a tattoo over them. So we covered her scars with some of my floral tattoos and she was so thankful afterwards. I’ll never forget how happy she looked, it was my happiest and proudest moment.

I think tattooing is the best way I can express who I am, I’m very proud to have this job.

What do you like to tattoo? I like drawing objects that are found in nature, these are the subjects I enjoy the most. I really like all aspects of nature, from the warmth in the green of the plants around us to the blue of the ocean that speaks to me of freedom.

To me, nature is the place that I get so much energy from and the colours are so inspiring. I enjoy drawing these aspects in my own style to transform them into a tattoo design that will work on the skin.

Why are tattoos so special? Tattoos act as a way for me to keep doing what I love, what I want to pursue in my life and how I express myself and my feelings. My clients keep these things on their skin and the act of giving them a tattoo is really special.

How would you describe your style? I redraw the topics and objects my clients want in my own style with my unique viewpoint. When I’m drawing these things I also think about how they’ll be placed on the body. Whether it’s a plant, animal or flower each natural painting needs to complement the final placement.

After drawing the initial shape with clean, thin and simple lines I add colour. The colour is layered to mimic crayons or brushstrokes. In my art I pursue a picture that appears ordinary but in the end it’s not.

What inspires your work? I feel inspired by plants, animals and music amongst many things. I also really like the work of Picasso, his paintings are my favourite. They’re abstract, detailed yet also simple and in every one his identity can be clearly seen.

I also don’t wish to draw things exactly as they appear in real life. For me, art is a way I can express in my drawings what I see and feel. Picasso is one of the best painters of this expression, he’s the painter who inspires me the most.

Can you tell us about tattoo culture in Korea? A lot of Koreans and Korean celebrities get tattoos even though it’s illegal to be a tattooist here. Despite this Korean tattoo artists are famous around the world and receive invitations to work in a lot of different countries.

Tattooing is recognised as an artform across the globe and I think Korean laws should be changed to reflect this. Young people in Korea are really interested in tattoos and the majority of my clients are young.

When are you happiest? I am truly happy when I tattoo my drawings. I like the idea that a person will be going about their daily life and look at the tattoo I’ve made for them and feel happy. This thought drives my tattooing and inspires my work.

Make sure to follow @tattoo_joojoo for more amazing tattoos.