Tattoo Life March/April 2024

Cover girl: LadySky

Her name is Michelle Carlton, but in tattoo and artistic circles she is known as LadySky. She is the cover girl of this issue of Tattoo Life and aside from her hypnotic beauty she is definitely an artist of polyhedric talent, experimenting with expressive media which allow her to unleash her incredible artistic vitality.

Chat at the top with Matt Jordan

Matt Jordan is one of the biggest names on the current international tattoo scene. Not just for his dramatic “realistic epic” style, but in general for his big pieces of thrilling scenes which truly seem to come to life on the body of those wearing them. And to go and see him in the earthly paradise where he lives in New Zealand, in a town with a population of just 700 people dominated by the natural surroundings of mountains and sea, is a truly unique experience…

Guido GB the Traditional Romantic

Guido GB, owner of Italian shop Ladies and Gents Tattoo, tells us about the history and symbolism of Traditional and all the passion, romanticism and decadence these iconic subjects have been imbued with as they have become codified over time. With a predilection and passion for women’s faces, tigers, butterflies and the Pharaoh’s Horses whose potency Guido evokes with colour and whose movement he renders with the harmony of the drawing with the shapes of the body.

Lele Youli – Asian tradition with a fresh modern twist

She loves traditional pieces for their bold lines, bright flat colours and powerful impact, with a flavour of the tattoos of the 60s and 70s. But she never loses sight of her own Asian tradition for the subjects and plays close attention to the composition so that her tattoos, always on a large scale, move with the body, making it more beautiful and sexy. As Lele Youli, Chinese by birth and recently settled in Milan, tells us herself in this interview. 

Peter Hilgers – Freedom of expression in a fusion of Realism and Japanese Anime

Peter Hilgers has chosen to work alone in his Tinten-Manufaktur in Aachen. And around those parts he is known for impressive tattoos which blend Realism (of a nerdy kind) and Japanese Anime full of exquisite contrast and fluid colours – as he himself explains – “designed to create just the right tension between light and dark”. Herr Hilgers has travelled a long road with one constant objective in mind: to attain quality. And he has no intention of letting it out of his sight because you only live once and we should basically be grateful for the chance to follow our dreams day by day.

Forever Tattoo Sacramento. Less is more

Tattoos which are timeless and so in the most traditional styles of this craft are the hallmark of Forever Tattoo Sacramento, a historic name on the international scene. For 25 years now the daily challenge they set themselves is to create tattoos which will have holding power over time, tattoos in the most traditional and in a certain sense “safest” styles which go beyond trends in tattoo. Founded by Eiland Hogan and Brent Patten, over the years the shop has changed look and location, maturing into a tattoo shop with an ambiance that is warm, professional and lively and high calibre guest artists from all over the world, as we hear from Brent who welcomes us on our visit to Sacramento.

Portfolio: the activities of Edo Chōyūkai

Sakiko Nomura travelled for a whole year, following the activities of Edo Chōyūkai, a society dedicated to the continuation of Edo tattoo culture founded at the end of the Meiji era [1868-1912] and the oldest tattoo club in Japan. Every year the association organises a pilgrimage to Mount Oyama for a formal worship service. While traditional tattoo culture remains virtually unknown in Japan, an online video documenting Edo Chōyūkai’s traditional pilgrimage was viewed 1.2 million times abroad. 

Who’s who: The beauty in day to day Vietnamese life by Danis Nguyen

Women in traditional Vietnamese dress, animals of the Zodiac, skeletons and imagery from Oriental tattoo all move light as ghosts in the visual language of Saigon tattooist Danis Nguyen, whose work struck us with the delicacy and elegance of the subjects it portrays.

Tattoo Mix: A selection of the best in every style… and much more!