“Shanghai” Kate Hellenbranddone

Shanghai Kate is known as America's Tattoo Godmother. She started tattooing in 1971. Mentored by Sailor Jerry Collins (last apprentice), Ed Hardy, Paul Rogers, Zeke Owen. One of 101 Most Influential People in Tattoo History, named by AOL as one of America's Top 10 Tattoo Artists. Owner of shops in NYC, Hawaii, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Alaska and now Austin, Texas. Shops in Buffalo were named as number 16 of the Top Twenty Tattoo Shops in the World. Kate continues to be an honored guest at tattoo conventions world-wide and has developed a lecture: From Voodoo To Vogue, that documents the history of tattoo from the narrow confines of modern society to the dim recesses of the paleolithic era. She is the only woman tattoo artist in the full-length documentary TATTOO NATION, about her years working in East Los Angeles in the late 1970s, a battle ground of 27 waring Chicano gangs. Her blog is also titled: From Voodoo To Vogue in which she chronicles her global trotting tattoo adventures.