ABOUT ME

   

     My name is Jose Arvizu, born in 1991 in Orange, California. I’ve been tattooing in Orange County and Los Angeles since 2012. I work in a range of styles, originally drawn to the craft through traditional tattooing, which shaped my foundation and ultimately led me to explore and develop my abilities across different aesthetics.

     I spent my youth between Santa Ana and Anaheim, and briefly attended Fullerton College, where I learned quickly that the traditional academic route wasn’t for me. I began searching for an apprenticeship and eventually found one in Stanton at Coast2Coast Tattoo (2012). It was there that I met my mentor, Machete Gator (Rest in Peace), who took me under his wing and helped me grow as an artist.

     Together we worked at Coast2Coast and would sit in at Rockabilly Ray’s Tinta Rebelde, until we opened a private studio in Anaheim (2013), followed by a shop in Sunset Beach called Shipwrecked Ink. I stayed there for several years before being hired at Ace of Hearts Tattoo in Long Beach, and later at Kari Barba’s Outer Limits (2018).

     Today, I work alongside friends at Mezzanine Tattoo in San Pedro, where I continue to grow, collaborate, and share my craft.

     I’m eternally grateful for this profession. Tattooing has taken me to beautiful places, allowed me to travel the world, and most of all, connected me with an incredible and diverse community of people. Clients and tattooers who became friends, what a gift.

Thank you, sincerely, for all the support over the years.