The Austin tattoo festival excites.

Over 200 Tattoo Artists Converge in Austin for 3-Day Festival

This weekend, the Austin Convention Center played host to a unique event - the Austin Tattoo Festival. With over 200 tattoo artists in attendance, the festival provided a platform for local and national artists to showcase their talent and connect with clients.

Studios and artists from across the country traveled to the Texas capital, marking the 8th stop on a tour of 14 planned events. Among them was Garrett Weber from Studio 13 Tattoo in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who relishes the opportunity to experience diverse cuisines while still enjoying the comforts of home during the week.

"I like to try food from all over the country, but it's also nice to go home to my wife and kitties." - Garrett Weber, Studio 13 Tattoo

Contests were held throughout the weekend, celebrating the best healed and freshest tattoos in various categories. Weber himself clinched a win for a glittery tiger piece inked earlier on the tour.

While many attendees were locals, others traveled great distances to be inked by specific artists. Jacob Shaw, for instance, came all the way from Dickson, Tennessee, to be tattooed by his friend and wedding best man, artist Chris Lochbihler.

"Any chance I get, I’ll get a tattoo from him… He mentioned the Austin event, and I decided I had to go." - Jacob Shaw, Tattoo Enthusiast

The festival featured a diverse range of artistic styles and backgrounds. One notable presence was Oasis Ink, a studio from Jacksonville, Florida, whose artists gained recognition from the reality TV show Black Ink Crew. Alex Robinson, an Oasis Ink artist, expressed their collective ambition for the weekend:

"We hope to satisfy every person who comes across our table." - Alex Robinson, Oasis Ink

Trang Phan, a newer artist with Kyle-based studio Faces In The Dark, shared a similar sentiment. She broke into the tattoo scene after graduating from the University of Texas and kicked off her weekend by inking the American-Statesman intern, Cross Harris.

While some artists accommodated walk-ins, many studios had their books fully booked even before the festival commenced. Among them was Elliott Duverge from Forge Empire Tattoo Studio in Orlando, who specialized in nostalgia-inducing pop-culture tattoos:

"I like to do a lot of pop-culture style stuff, anything that people like from the 90s or early 2000s... It really depends on what’s going to make the person happy. That’s why we’re all here." - Elliott Duverge, Forge Empire Tattoo Studio

The Austin Tattoo Festival highlighted the diverse and talented world of tattoo artistry, offering artists and enthusiasts alike a memorable experience filled with ink, art, and camaraderie.

References and URLs:

• Original article URL: [https://www.statesman.com/story/life/2023/07/17/austin-tattoo-festival-2023-photos-INK-about-it/11944711/]
• Studio 13 Tattoo: [https://www.studio13tattoo.com/]
• Black Ink Crew: [https://www.vh1.com/shows/black-ink-crew]
• Forge Empire Tattoo Studio: [https://forgempiretattoostudio.com/]