Past Events Archive

About The Event

From the pens and brushes of Hall of Fame legends like Norman Rockwell to the tablets and screens of contemporary artists, illustration has been a major part of ADC since its inception over a century ago. 

But there is one example of illustration that has been on the periphery of the scope of ADC’s focus: the artistry of tattooing. Yet as this artform has become increasingly mainstream over the decades, many talented illustrators have decided to experiment with using their skills with skin as their canvas — designing intricate creations for others to implement, or even picking up the tattoo gun themselves. Tattoo art has even been an enterable category within the ADC Annual Awards for the past five years.

Check out this engaging discussion on tattooing as an artistic medium. We assembled a top-notch panel of tattoo artists who shared their creative journeys, connecting them to the broader landscape of illustration. Whether you’re entering your own tattoo art into the ADC Awards or just have an interest in the artform, you’re sure to gain an even greater appreciation for the medium after this engrossing conversation.

ORIGINALLY AIRED
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 

Meet Our Speakers

Yomico Moreno

Yomico Moreno, a tattoo artist from Venezuela, began his career in 2005 and currently resides in New York City. After working in various cities in Venezuela, he made his first trip to Europe in 2008, specifically to Switzerland, marking his initial contact with the European continent. He then returned to Caracas, where he became part of Mithos Tattoo.

In 2010, Yomico gained international fame after winning awards at the International Tattoo Convention in Denmark. This event opened doors for his career across Europe, Central America, and South America as he secured top positions in various conventions.By 2015, he was invited to join Last Rites Theater in Manhattan (NY), the tattoo studio of renowned artist Paul Booth.

This marked a new phase in his career, participating in various art exhibitions through painting.In 2016, he attended the International Convention of London, where he collaborated with other colleagues and won the top prize for Best of Show. It was there that The Rat Pack was born. This crew opened the door for large-scale collaborations in the industry for several years, winning first place at various conventions around the world, including the Golden State Expo in 2018, where Paul Booth was also part of the team.

Yomico's work has attracted the attention of many media outlets, not only those dedicated to tattooing but also some of the largest in the world, including MTV, CNN, New York Post, Daily Mail, Univision, Telemundo, and others.

Roni Zulu

Zulu was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky; shortly thereafter, his family relocated to Terre Haute, Indiana and his teenage years were spent in Sarasota, Florida. He currently resides in Austin, Texas. Primarily attracted to and influenced by the old masters, he was also drawn to the bizarre side of the surrealist movement; the two strong influences are evident in his work to this day.

After his education at Ringling School of Art & Design and relocating to Los Angeles, Zulu’s endeavors became engrossed in the direct participation and study of tribal and indigenous cultures around the globe; particularly their rites, sacred tattooing, rituals and arts. He has also studied in the private ateliers of modern master painters honing his skills in traditional European styles and techniques.

Zulu has given lectures and demonstrations at the Boston Museum of Art, Los Angeles Craft & Folk Art Museum, UCLA Art Departments, Disney Studios, The Thinkery Austin, the Ministry of Arts in Tahiti, the Tribal Council of Samoa, The History Channel, various TV and literary media and many other institutions of the arts.

Shawn Barber

Shawn Barber earned his B.F.A from Ringling College of Art in 1999 and A.A.S. from Cazenovia College in 1997. His paintings are held in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia. His paintings have been exhibited in diverse solo and group venues including: Somerset House Museum, London, UK; Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Halle Saint Pierre Museum, Paris; Pinnacles Gallery, Queensland, Australia; Mesa Contemporary Arts Center, Mesa, AZ; Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, CA; Artspace, Shreveport, LA; Joshua Liner Gallery, NYC, NY; Southern Illinois University Museum, Carbondale, IL; and the University of Houston, Houston, TX.

Among his extensive achievements, he has taught drawing, painting and the business of art for 20 years at various art schools throughout the country. After years of documenting the art of tattoo, it was a logical progression to pick up the tattoo machine and add tattooist to his resume.

Shawn has been documenting tattoo culture and contemporary tattoo history with a series of paintings, The Tattooed Portraits Series. Since 2005, Shawn has been obsessively chronicling individuals that have pioneered the genre of contemporary tattoo art and the history of modern tattooing. Presently, over five hundred works have been made in this series.

In 2009, Shawn and his business partner Kim Saigh, opened Memoir Tattoo in Los Angeles, CA.

Shawn's signature brushwork has appeared in advertising, music, magazines, children's books, corporate, entertainment and newspapers. Particularly recognized for his portrait work, he has been honored by American Illustration, The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, RSVP, and The Artist's Magazine among others. Articles and reviews of his work have appeared in ArtNews, Juxtapoz Magazine, The Artist's Magazine, International Tattoo Magazine, Tattoo Artist Magazine, American Art Collector and SF Weekly. His work has been featured in Taschen Books' "Illustration Now" and "1000 Best Web Portfolios", Harper Collins' "The Big Book of Illustration Ideas", Mark Murphy's "Dialogue Book", Schiffer Publishing's "I Love Tattoos", and Outre Gallery Press' "Tattoo Parlour".

Commercial clients include: Nike, Target, Google, T.E.D. Conference, Gatorade, NBC, Subway, Maxim, Scholastic Books, Elektra Records, American Airlines, Converse, Bulleit, The Grammy Awards, Atlantic Records, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone magazine, Psychology Today, Verizon T-Mobile, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, The Progressive, NYU School of Law, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Hard Rock Cafe, Utne Reader, The Source, The Washington Post, MTV Networks, Saks Fifth Ave, TBWA, Yoga Journal, Woodward West / Woodward East, Tres Records / Johnson and Jonson, space150, Creature Skateboards, Nitro Snowboards, Rockstar Energy, Business Week, The Village Voice and the Wall Street Journal.