THE JURY
Living legends, the members of our jury are testament to the history of modern tattooing, from the 1970s to today. A marginal, at times illegal, practice 30 years ago, tattooing is today an art in its own right and has had a lasting impact on culture and the collective imagination. Yesterday’s adventurous pioneers are today’s masters, who continue to inspire generations of artists. A brief presentation :
Mark Mahoney
Shamrock Social Club, Hollywood
In good Irish tradition, Mark Mahoney began his tattoo career in Boston, 1977, where it was still an illegal art. He moved to California in 1980 where he developed his signature style, black & gray with a single needle, marking many a famous skin, namely - Lana Del Rey, Mickey Rourke, Pamela Anderson, Johnny Hallyday and even Nicolas Sarkozy! His boutique Shamrock Tattoo Club, located on Sunset Boulevard, is a legendary place for Western tattooing. Mark is also known for his unparalleled taste in clothing, and shines his own shoes every morning.
Kari Barba
Outer Limits, Long Beach
Kari Barba started in 1979 at the age of 19 on the advice of her tattoo artist neighbor. She moved to California in the early 1980s and attended her first convention in 1982, organized by Ed Hardy. It was in 2002 that she bought Bert Grimm’s historic shop in Long Beach, the oldest tattoo shop still in operation in the United States, in which she has worked ever since. Kari's favorite styles are realism, black & gray, portraits, and Asian styles. A ‘Mondial’ jury member since 2015, she dazzles us every year with her elegant costumes.
Junko Shimada
Diamond Club Tattoo Parlor, San Francisco
San Francisco's quintessential Japanese artist, Junko Shimada, joined the prestigious panel in 2022. This tattoo artist left Japan in the late 1980s, denied any apprenticeship opportunity because she was a woman. She then crossed the globe to join Bill Salmon, who, in becoming her husband, was kind enough to give her a chance to apprentice. They opened together the legendary Diamond Club Tattoo Parlor, in one of the World’s tattoo capitals, where she has been practicing her profession for 32 years now. She works mainly in the traditional Japanese style, of which she knows the precepts inside out.
Filip Leu
The Leu Family’s Family Iron, Lausanne
We no longer need to introduce Filip Leu, considered by most as one of the greatest tattoo artists in the world. At the age of 14 he was introduced to tattoo art by his father Felix Leu. They opened their historic boutique, Leu Family’s Family Iron, in Lausanne in 1982. For over 40 years, Filip has trained and influenced entire generations of tattoo artists. Deeply influenced by Japanese irezumi, Filip practices, in his own words, a Euro-American Japanese style. He also appreciates beautiful outfits, delighting convention visitors every year with his offbeat hippie-chic style.
Luke Atkinson
Checker Demon Tattoos, Stuttgart
Luke Atkinson is an English expat, trained in tattooing in Cologne in 1984. He spent years traveling and learning all over the world, in London with Micky Sharpz, in New York, and notably in Japan with Horiyoshi III and Horitoshi I, a major life mark. He moved to Stuttgart in 1992 and opened his boutique Checker Demon Tattoos, which has since welcomed internationally renowned artists. Luke practices a contemporary Japanese style and is considered one of its pioneers, alongside his colleagues Filip Leu, Mick de Zurich and Tin-Tin, to cite a few. Luke is instantly recognizable by his brightly colored costumes and his vintage, but fresh, yellow New York taxi cab, which he rides in across Europe.