10 tattoo artists that celebrities go to – from Mr. K, who’s a hit with Angelina Jolie, Doja Cat and Sophie Turner, to Johnny Depp’s go-to Jonathan Shaw and Kevin Paul’s work with Harry Styles
- Angelina Jolie, Doja Cat, Sophie Turner, Liam Hemsworth, Rita Ora and Matt Damon all go to Mr. K, while Rihanna and Justin Bieber are known fans of Keith ‘Bang Bang’ McCurdy
- Dr. Woo has attracted the likes of Miley Cyrus and Bella Hadid, Jonathan Shaw’s parlour has brought in Kate Moss and Johnny Depp, and Hong Kong’s Gabe Shum has inked David Beckham and LeBron James
When Angelina Jolie’s tattoo artist Mr. K posted a teaser pic of her latest tattoo, with the middle fingers blurred out, fans were quick to jump to the comments section to claim it was a “F** you” reference to her ex-husband, Brad Pitt.
The post went viral, leading the tattoo artist who shared the pic to jump in and shut down the rumours by responding with a comment saying the tat is “nothing related to Brad Pitt”. He also shared a new photo, with Jolie’s fingers un-blurred to reveal his work, and captioned an apology for any confusion and “stress” that may have been inflicted on Jolie as a result of the speculation.
But Mr. K is no nobody. In fact, he’s very much a somebody, especially in the world of tattoo artists, where he too is considered a celebrity with close to a million followers on Instagram alone. Here are 10 of the most trusted tattoo artists beloved by A-listers, that you can book too (if you’re lucky).
1. Mr. K
Besides Jolie, Mr. K has worked with clients such as Doja Cat, Sophie Turner, Liam Hemsworth, Rita Ora and Matt Damon, to name a few. The Seoul native studied at Parsons School of Design before pursuing his career as a tattoo artist. You can find him at New York City’s Bang Bang tattoo studio, where his single-needle works and intricate micro-style draws crowds from all over.
2. Kevin Paul
Harry Styles has over 50 tattoos on his body, so it’s hardly surprising to hear that he has multiple tattoo artists on the go.