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This Week in Tattoo News
A sourced, no-opinion roundup of what's happening in tattoo culture right now: Nancy Mace's nine tattoos, a new Guinness World Record, a Colorado convention recap, and what's coming to Amsterdam and London this weekend.
Here's what's actually happening in tattoo culture this week: no takes, just what's happening, with sources.
Rep. Nancy Mace Went Public With Nine Tattoos She'd Kept Hidden for Years
South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace showed off nine tattoos on her YouTube show this month that she'd first disclosed in a February interview but never shown publicly. She got all nine in a single stretch between late 2023 and early 2024, during a period that included the end of her engagement and a wave of staff turnover in her office. Visible work includes the word "Justice" running down one forearm, a haloed figure, a sailboat, an owl, and a quote from Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway.
Newsweek reports she's connected the ink to surviving sexual assault, describing the tattoos as a way to "reclaim" her body. Her response to the online attention: "My biceps should NOT be a news story. We have more important things to worry about."
A West Chester Artist Broke His Own Guinness World Record
Brannan Clift, owner of Liberty Bell Tattoo & Piercing in West Chester, Pennsylvania, spent 76 straight hours tattooing the same person, breaking a record previously held by a two-person team from Italy, and beating his own earlier 52-hour mark in the process. His canvas was a friend, Christian Eshbaugh, who Clift has called one of the most pain-tolerant people he knows. Vista.Today has the story.
Colorado Springs Hosted Its Villain Arts Tattoo Festival
The Villain Arts Tattoo Festival ran August 28 through 30 at the Norris-Penrose Event Center, pulling in artists from across the country including Kelsey Lorrae, Carlos Piedrahita, Loco Dharma, and Horihachi. The Colorado Springs Gazette covered the weekend, alongside the usual convention mix of live tattooing, contests, and vendor booths.
Two of Europe's Biggest Conventions Land This Weekend
If you're near London or Amsterdam this weekend, both cities have a major show running September 4 through 6. The Big London Tattoo Show takes over ExCel London with around 450 artists working everything from neo-trad to blackout. Meanwhile Amsterdam hits its 20th year with the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention, bringing in more than 350 national and international artists to NDSM.
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Disclaimer: This roundup summarizes publicly reported information as of the publish date, with sources linked inline. Details on ongoing stories may change after publication. Tatulogue is reporting what's circulating and cited, not confirming or endorsing any claims made by the parties involved.