Shawn Barber

Shawn Barber is a Los Angeles based painter and tattooer, who is well know for documenting what he calls "the art of tattoo". His main body of work - large, fluid oil paintings of tattooed bodies - speak with an intimate magic of the strength of personality behind the skin.

As he says, his works are "not just portraits of randomly tattooed people.  These are paintings of artists; very specific, contemporary, influential, controversial, pioneers and renegade artists." Barber paints with a visceral energy, delving into photorealism simultaneously with moments of abstract expressionism.

Barber has exhibited both prints and original paintings with Outré as well as being a feature artist in our book "Tattoo Parlour".