Artist Justin Weatherholtz talks about inspiration, ambition and future plans

With a whopping 10 years at Kings Avenue Tattoo, one of the most respected parlors in the industry, and co-founder of the Pagoda City Tattoo Fest, one would expect Justin Weatherholtz to be well into his 50s considering how much he has accomplished. But he's just a wildly talented, incredibly ambitious 37-year-old who has accomplished more in 18 years than most artists do in a lifetime.

Tattooing in styles ranging from Irezumi-inspired work to traditional work, Weatherholtz draws inspiration from just about everything around him. “The biggest influence on me was the people I worked with. My job changed drastically 10 years ago when I started working here,” Weatherholtz explains. “I was thinking about getting into Japanese tattooing and Mike Rubendall had a huge impact on me and made me fall in love with him. I think what attracted me to his work was that it combined the classic Japanese tattoo style, but it also had something else, like his influence or his personal approach to it all.” 

In the summer of 2014, Weatherholtz, a self-described risk taker, created Pagoda City Tattoo Fest in partnership with his former mentor Joe Jones. The convention, located in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, has a loyal following. “I always thought there was never really a big show on the east coast like a collectible style show, it just doesn't exist for some weird reason and there are so many incredible cities and artists. in this district. So I thought, "Let's try to make this show который. "

Pagoda City, which lasted for three days and attracted some of the industry's best such as Oliver Peck, the Spider Murphy team and Tim Hendrix, established itself as one of the best conventions in the industry, attracting around 3,000 people and around 150 artists. year one. Pagoda City was more concerned with portraying itself as a collection of artists and collectors rather than an eclectic and sometimes overwhelming mix of vendors and artists. “In the end, if artists are interested in it, we will continue to do it. And if not, then we will stop.”

Weatherholz, who never stops to rest, is even planning his first art show this March, called Goodbye, which will feature some of his fellow Kings Avenue artists. “The process leading up to that was interesting because it kind of took me in a few different directions in regards to what I do artistically,” he explains. "I'm trying to do some things that have a little more storytelling in them." But whether he's painting, tattooing, or heading one of the world's most impressive conventions, there's nothing Weatherholtz touches that doesn't turn to gold. Don't let his age fool you, Weatherholtz is just getting started and if the past 18 years are any sign of what's to come, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this young artist.