Australia’s best tattooists inking up the world’s biggest stars
Tattoos are becoming increasingly mainstream, thanks to their popularity with celebs and sports stars. Meet the Aussie tattooists inking up some the biggest stars.
National
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IF there is a celebrity in town, there’s a fair bet he or she is getting inked.
Australian tattoo artists have made a name for themselves as among some of the best in the world.
And they have left their mark on the biggest names — Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran, among others.
Tattoo studios are growing at a rapid rate, with a 40 per cent per jump domestically in the past year alone.
Here, we’ve rounded up the tattoo artists dispelling the myth body art is the domain of gangs and bikies, and putting Australia on the map.
MELANIE HABARAKADA, TATTOOS BY MELANIE (MELBOURNE)
When US actor Jon Seda contacted Melanie Habarakada, he didn’t know what sort of tattoo he wanted, just that he wanted her to do it.
“He commented on my Tiktok a few times and eventually reached out to actually be tattooed by me, so we organised a consult while he was in Melbourne,” Ms Habarakada says.
After a lot of back and forth, Mr Seda ended up opting for a dedication to his children, using script across his bicep.
“Jon Seda is a very humble man, he had a lot of interesting stories across his 30 years in the acting industry.
“It was an awesome experience to just be able to sit and chat with him about his career.”
While many people draw on personal experience, love and trauma when choosing their tattoos, Ms Habarakada says there’s no right or wrong way.
“Tattoos are everything and anything to me.
“You can have an idea you’ve wanted for years, or you can simply see something you want on the internet a week before.
“A lot of my tattoos are just things I love, from musicians, to movies, to insects and flowers. Some things I just thought would look cool and I trusted my artist to come up with something.”
BRODIE RUSKIN, CURSED COLOURS (ADELAIDE)
Colour realism artist, Brodie Ruskin, is one of a collection of tattoo artists responsible for inking Australia’s most tattooed doctor.
Dr Sarah Gray is not your typical Orthopaedic Registrar, covered from the neck down in an assortment of colourful tattoos.
“There is a general stereotype of tattooed people reflecting their suitability towards jobs through to their personality type,” Mr Ruskin says.
But, thanks to people like Dr Gray, that stigma around tattoos is slowly changing.
“The more popular tattooing becomes, the more the stereotype has to change with it.
“It’s great to see heavily tattooed people in professional roles like Dr Gray. The more people we see like this – the more normalised tattoos become.”
Responsible for Dr Gray’s Ghostface tattoo, Mr Ruskin’s speciality is all things pop culture.
“So basically, big fans of characters from movies and TV shows wanting their favourite characters tattooed on them.”
RHYS GORDON, LITTLE TOKYO (SYDNEY)
From 90s boy band Bros and Australia’s Ruby Rose to Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, Rhys Gordon has some big celebrities under his tattooist belt.
“I’ve probably done close to half of Ruby Rose’s tattoos, I did a big Eagle on Justin Bieber’s arm a few years ago,” Mr Gordon said.
“I’ve been fortunate to tattoo these celebrities and have them listen and be advised on what are good and bad ideas … unfortunately, the majority of celebrities have average tattoos at best. Probably due to being surrounded by yes people.”
Mr Gordon said celebrities were “just normal people.”
“They hurt and bleed like the rest of us. By treating them as you would any other client you get the best result and experience. And some cool stories and memories to go with it.”
Covered in a full bodysuit, Mr Gordon has been tattooed by more than 70 artists, including some of the great masters in Japan – the inspiration behind his current work.
“The style I work in is the Japanese style. This can have stories linked to images that resonate with clients, such as courage and longevity.”
ALEISHA GANNON, INK HAUS CREATIVE AND PINK LOTUS AUSTRALIA FOUNDATION (GOLD COAST)
So concerned about the stigma attached to the tattoo industry, Aleisha Gannon kept her tattoo apprenticeship a secret from her parents for as long as she could.
These days, as well as running her own tattoo studio, Ms Gannon also tattoos paramedical 3D nipples onto breast cancer survivors post mastectomy, via her charity, Pink Lotus Australia Foundation.
“I tattoo using a technique called ‘whipshading’; This is a soft style of tattooing that is perfect for areas that have been compromised by surgery or in areas that have scarring.
“The effect of having a part of you taken away from such a horrible disease is so deep and a lot of the time they don’t realise how it has affected them until (the nipples) have been tattooed back on.”
Ms Gannon is also the woman behind the Adelaide Crows AFLW premiership tattoos.
“We loved having their team in our studio,” Ms Gannon says.
“I did think it was cruel that these tattoos were done the day after their Grand Final. Let’s just say some of them were struggling a little with lack of sleep.”
LAUREN WINZER, HUNTER AND FOX (SYDNEY)
Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Joe Jonas – these are just some of the global names Lauren Winzer has tattooed over the years.
“I was so nervous about tattooing Miley,” Ms Winzer says.
“She was the first well known client I had, and I was nervous about not having anything in common.”
But like all the celebrities she’s inked, Ms Winzer says Cyrus was “an absolute pleasure”.
“These people have always treated me with so much respect and never acted like we weren’t in the same level,” she says.
A tattooist for slightly more than a decade, Ms Winzer is known for her miniature tattoos, including the tiny avocado on Cyrus’s arm, and playboy bunny on American rapper Post Malone’s face.
Despite her celebrity client list, Winzer’s career highlights are actually closer to home — she gave her mum her first tattoo.
“I always loved art and the fact that I can create entirely new images and artworks each day is basically the dream for me.”
PEDRO SIX, RENEGADE ART SOCIETY (MELBOURNE)
When former AFL superstar Dane Swan comes to mind, so too does his extensive tattoo collection.
The man behind the body art is Pedro Six, a tattooist of more than 20 years.
“When I first took an interest in tattoos during the late 80s/early 90s, they were still very taboo, and reserved for social outsiders. These types of characters and their tattoos were always fascinating to me.”
Mr Six met Swan during the early stages of his career, following a recommendation by his footy mates.
“Dane has always been very easy to work with and has given me a lot of freedom with the designs based on simple briefs or concepts,” Mr Six says.
Known for his big and detailed style and freehand artwork, Mr Six has worked at music festivals, tattooing some of his favourite musicians and artists, but one of his biggest highlights was live tattooing on the AFL Footy Show.
“Seeing Sam Newman fret about the possibility of having to get a tattoo due to a bet with Dane, was a fun moment,” Ms Six says.
“Sam absolutely detests tattoos and was trying to convince me to do a fake tattoo for him as part of the Footy Show.”
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