A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes and techniques, including hand-tapped traditional tattoos and modern tattoo machines. The history of tattooing goes back to Neolithic times, practiced across the globe by many cultures, and the symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures.
Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo, and is used in English to refer to a distinctive style of Japanese tattooing, though it is also used as a blanket term to describe a number of tattoo styles originating in Japan, including tattooing traditions from both the Ainu people and the Ryukyuan Kingdom.
Tattooing has been practiced across the globe since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archaeological record. Both ancient art and archaeological finds of possible tattoo tools suggest tattooing was practiced by the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe. However, direct evidence for tattooing on mummified human skin extends only to the 4th millennium BC. The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin to date is found on the body of Ötzi the Iceman, dating to between 3370 and 3100 BC. Other tattooed mummies have been recovered from at least 49 archaeological sites, including locations in Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, western China, Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines and the Andes. These include Amunet, Priestess of the Goddess Hathor from ancient Egypt, multiple mummies from Siberia including the Pazyryk culture of Russia and from several cultures throughout Pre-Columbian South America.
Vyvyn Lazonga is a tattoo artist who began her career in Seattle in the early 1970s and was trained by Danny Danzl. She was the first woman to work for herself in the industry, not her husband or another male shop owner. She worked in San Francisco and was tattooed by Ed Hardy in the 70s. She won the award for Best Tattooed Female in 1978 for his work. Later she was fortunate enough to meet Horiyoshi II at one of Lyle Tuttle's parties before returning in 1989 to open her studio in Seattle.
Tattoo inks consist of pigments combined with a carrier, used in the process of tattooing to create a tattoo in the skin. These inks are also used for permanent makeup, a form of tattoo.
Hannah Aitchison is an American tattoo artist. She is best known for her appearances on tattoo reality television shows LA Ink and Best Ink.
Joey Pang is a female Chinese Tattoo artist based in Hong Kong, SAR China.
Mary Jane Haake is an American tattoo artist and authority on medical tattooing and permanent makeup. She was instrumental in bringing topical anesthetics to the tattooing and body modification industries.
Scott Campbell is an American artist and tattoo artist whose clients include Howard Stern, Sting, Robert Downey Jr., Courtney Love, Orlando Bloom, Josh Hartnett, and Marc Jacobs.
Whang-od Oggay, also known as Maria Oggay, is a tattoo artist from the village of Buscalan within Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines. She is often described as the "last" and oldest mambabatok and is part of the Butbut people of the larger Kalinga ethnic group.
Tattooing in South Korea has a long and controversial history. South Korean law permits only licensed medical practitioners, as opposed to tattoo artists without medical degrees, to open tattoo parlors, although it is not illegal to have a tattoo. Only the army prohibits tattoos. People can get tattoos after serving in the military. Attitudes towards tattoos and people who have them are often negative, particularly among the older generations of South Koreans.
Jessie Knight (1904–1992) was the first prominent female tattoo artist in the UK.
Tattooed ladies were working class women who acquired tattoos and performed in circuses, sideshows, and dime show museums as means for earning a substantial living. At the height of their popularity during the turn of the 20th century, tattooed ladies transgressed Victorian gender norms by showcasing their bodies in scantily clad clothing and earned a salary considerably larger than their male counterparts. Tattooed ladies often used captivity narratives as a means for excusing their appearance, and to tantalize the audience. The popularity of tattooed ladies waned with the onset of television.
Megan Woznicki, professionally known as Megan Massacre, is an American tattoo artist. She is best known for her appearances on the TLC reality television shows NY Ink and America's Worst Tattoos. She grew up with a passion for all forms of art. She became so good with a calligraphic pen that, in high school, she made money doing wedding invitations.
Ryan Ashley DiCristina, known as Ryan Ashley, is an American tattoo artist known for her appearances on the television shows Ink Master and its spin-offs. Her signature style reflects her training and experience as a fashion designer: Ashley specializes in black-and-gray designs with beadwork, lace detail, and ornamental jewels. Ashley won Ink Master's season eight competition in 2016 and in the following years returned to host a spin-off show (Angels), judge another spin-off, and judge in the main series. She co-owns a tattoo shop in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Carl "Shotsie" Gorman is an American tattoo artist, painter, sculptor and poet. Gorman has been tattooing for over 42 years and is the co-founder of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists. As a poet, he was a second place winner of the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award in 1998 for his poem "Grandpa's Kitchen Tricks".
Batok, batek, patik, batik, or buri, among other names, are general terms for indigenous tattoos of the Philippines. Tattooing on both sexes was practiced by almost all ethnic groups of the Philippine Islands during the pre-colonial era. Like other Austronesian groups, these tattoos were made traditionally with hafted tools tapped with a length of wood. Each ethnic group had specific terms and designs for tattoos, which are also often the same designs used in other art forms and decorations such as pottery and weaving. Tattoos range from being restricted only to certain parts of the body to covering the entire body. Tattoos were symbols of tribal identity and kinship, as well as bravery, beauty, and social or wealth status.
"Shanghai" Kate Hellenbrand was an American tattoo artist. She worked in the industry for over 40 years and earned the title "America's Tattoo Godmother."
Kari Barba is an American tattoo artist and painter from Minneapolis. Barba has been practicing art for over 45 years and is best known for her work for women within the tattoo industry. Barba is based in Long Beach, California. She is the owner of Outer Limits Tattoo in Long Beach, CA, the oldest tattoo shop in the United States. She also owns Outer Limits Tattoo in Costa Mesa
Christine Harvey is a New Zealand tā moko artist and teacher.
