Inked Mag Staff

May 1st, 2018

Everything You Missed From the 2018 Edmonton Tattoo Convention

Check Out the Ink-redible Art! This weekend, I flew from NYC to Canada to attend the 2018 Edmonton Tattoo Convention. The convention brought together incredible tattooers from across Canada and…

Check Out the Ink-redible Art!

This weekend, I flew from NYC to Canada to attend the 2018 Edmonton Tattoo Convention. The convention brought together incredible tattooers from across Canada and around the world, including industry favorites Saga Anderson, Jime Litwalk, and Anrijs Straume. However, going into the weekend, I kept a lookout for local artists that hadn’t yet crossed my radar and was pleasantly surprised by the talent I encountered. Edmonton and Calgary are the two largest cities in the province of Alberta—with each boasting over one million residents. The western cities feature a host of amazing tattooers—whose talents range from neo-traditional to trash polka to color realism. Take a look at the gallery below to check out a handful of the immaculate pieces created at this weekend’s convention, then let us know which international and Alberta-based artist will be on your watch for the rest of 2018.

Tattoo @anrijsstraume

First up, possibly the most recognizable tattooer at the convention, Liverpool’s Anrijs Straume whipped out 3 incredible pieces this weekend.

Tattoo @anrijsstraume

Straume’s booth was one of the most popular of the event, in part because his wife, influencer and model Monami Frost, was hosting a meet-and-greet.

Tattoo @anrijsstraume

Over the course of the three-day convention, Straume dominated with 3 incredible pieces and we hope to see his work showcased at next years event.

Tattoo @inkbysaga

Arguably the biggest artist in Alberta, Saga Anderson showed off his hometown pride at this year’s con. Taking home three awards for this two day masterpiece, Anderson proved that Calgary has some of the best tattooers in the industry.

Tattoo @robertwitczuk

Hailing from Cambridge, Ontario, Robert Witczuk was another Canadian tattooer who showed major talent in Edmonton. Getting his start in Poland then Ireland, Witczuk has since made Canada his home and dominates in a variety of distinctive art styles.

Tattoo @robertwitczuk

Bet you didn’t think these two tattoos belonged to the same tattooer, but Witczuk isn’t playing any games. He showed insane versatility in Edmonton, flexing mastery of both trash polka and BG realism this weekend.

Tattoo @dallascruztattoo

Speaking of BG realism, we also got a chance to see Vancouver tattooer Dallas Cruz create this master piece. This tattoo, specifically the client it belongs to, was our top grossing live of the weekend and we can certainly see why.

Tattoo @jackassica

Another huge surprise of the weekend was Edmonton’s famous Capital Tattoo artists. Capital Tattoo is a premiere shop in the convention’s city, featuring talented tattooers such as Jessica Wright.

Tattoo @jackassica

Wright, coyly named Jackassica, is “Capital Tattoos stiletto wearing, axe throwing, ultra vixen.” She dominated the weekend by pulling out neo-traditional tricks in each of her stunning works.

Tattoo @jackassica

We’d definitely recommend keeping Wright on your radar, because this talented tattooer is only going up from here.

Tattoo @2thegrave

Another tattooer from Capital who wowed INKED was Lee Robertson, who not only tattooed with Capital but got inked up by coworker Wright over the weekend.

Tattoo @jimelitwalk

It’s not a tattoo convention without a dash of Ink Master royalty, and this convention brought in the big dogs. Jime Litwalk of season 3 and 7 cleaned house over the weekend.

Tattoo @jimelitwalk

The new school icon played to his strengths in Edmonton, composing two distinctively quirky works at the show. His legacy is proof that the Ink Master brand has truly gone global and we cannot wait to see which other tattooers join the alumni network in season 11.

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