Legendary tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy was born in California in 1945 and graduated the San Francisco Art Institute with a BA of Fine Arts in printmaking. A student of Sailor Jerry Collins,

 

Hardy went on to study tattoo artistry in Japan in 1973 with the celebrated tattoo master Horihide. His later incorporation of Japanese tattoo aesthetics and technique into his American style work set him apart

in the industry and was instrumental in

building his renown.

 

In 1982, Hardy published a five book series ‘Tattootime’, before going on to publish over 25 books on alternative art, including catalogues of Hardy’s work and that of Sailor Jerry. In the early 2000s, Hardy began to create fashion-forward collections using his artwork and today the brand is sold globally via better department stores, flagship mono brand stores and online.

 

Hardy himself continues to oversee and mentor the artists at his San Francisco studio, Tattoo City and his artwork is shown around the world at exhibitions.