Meet Tristan Zhang and Tony Hu, Toronto’s representatives at the 2016 London International Tattoo Convention

Continual Ink artists and co-owners Tony Hu and Tristan Zhang are heading abroad this weekend to showcase their work on the London Worldwide Tattoo Conference, one of many largest, most high-calibre tattoo conventions on this planet. We spoke with them—the one Toronto-based tattoo artists attending the conference—about how they obtained there, what they’ll be doing on the conference flooring, and why the present is definitely worth the flight over.

The highway to London

To be able to showcase their work on the conference, Zhang and Hu are first required to submit a portfolio of their finest items with the intention to be thought-about for floorspace. The tattoos are then judged by Miki Vialetto, the proprietor of the London Worldwide Tattoo Conference—and historical past has proven that Vialetto is a fan of the Continual Ink artists’ work. This 12 months is the third consecutive 12 months that each Zhang and Hu have been accepted to the conference. “They need individuals who work actually exhausting,” Zhang says. “This present is for one of the best of one of the best.”

The conference flooring

It prices Zhang and Hu £350 every for his or her sales space on the conference flooring at London’s Tobacco Dock, a warehouse-turned-venue within the metropolis’s east finish. As soon as there, they’ll get to work—actually: Zhang and Hu spend an estimated 80% of their time on the conference truly tattooing. “This is a chance to point out people who find themselves strolling round what we are able to do, and what sort of kinds we work with,” Hu says. Zhang and Hu spent three full days working collectively on a single tattoo for one consumer on the first London conference they attended, after which once more on the second. This 12 months is not any totally different. They’ve already chosen their fortunate consumer—he’s a local Londoner who wouldn’t in any other case have the ability to get tattooed by the 2 artists—and are within the technique of conducting cellphone consultations to design the piece (it’ll almost definitely be a sleeve-sized piece, so the enterprise companions can schlep as little gear onto their flight from Toronto as potential). “I’ll have him ship me an image of the place he needs it, and ensure it’s a bigger piece,” Zhang says. “It must be one thing that can be good for us to work on.”

The competitors

Yearly, the London Worldwide Tattoo Conference hosts a contest honouring one of the best tattoo artists on this planet. To be able to enter, artists merely have to submit what they contemplate to be their finest piece of the 12 months in certainly one of three classes: small work, medium-sized work (like a full sleeve of substantial again piece) or massive work, like a whole again, plus legs. Hu and Zhang have competed earlier than, however this 12 months, they’re opting out. Hu explains that, to him, the best calibre work usually exhibits up within the massive class, and this 12 months, neither he nor Zhang has something that large fairly completed. “If I’m going to compete,” he says, “I need to compete in opposition to one of the best.”

The educational expertise

Networking is necessary to Hu an Zhang, and each agree that one of the best factor about going to the London Worldwide Tattoo Conference is assembly—and studying from—different artists. “In Toronto, we’ve no established tattoo fashion,” Zhang says. “Principally, purchasers simply stroll in, and artists do no matter. In London, they’re one of the best at portraiture—realistic-looking tattoos—and Asian-style tattoos, which we do.” Hu agrees. “The principle motive for me to go there may be to study,” he says. “This conference has the most important focus of fantastic artists on this planet.”