Kat Von D

Kat Von D was born on March 8, 1982 in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Her family moved to the United States when she was 4 years and ten years later, she did a tattoo of a Misfits skull. It was her first but certainly not her last as she found herself hooked on body art ever since. At the tender age of 16, she was already working at a local tattoo shop and her expertise has brought her a long way from home, working in California for a shop called True Tattoo and in Dallas, Texas for the shop Elm Street Tattoo. Her latest project is for the TLC reality television show, Miami Ink.

Kat Von D was asked to join the second season of Miami Ink as a replacement for the injured tattoo artist Darren Brass. She is known as the “Queen of Portraits,” as she is deeply drawn to portraiture and realism. Her presence in the show has brought a different energy, as she is the only female tattoo artist in the bunch.



Born on March 8th, 1982 in Nuevo Leon Mexico, to Argentinean parents René Drachenberg and Sylvia Galeano, Kat Von D moved to Colton, California at the age of four. Growing up, she was very close to her grandmother who greatly influenced her love for art. Her grandmother introduced her to playing the piano and listening to great composers such as Beethoven, Kat Von D's favorite. She grew up close to her parents and siblings in Inland Empire, where she was exposed to various cultures and influences. At the age of 14, she got her first tattoo, an English J on her ankle, a tribute to a previous love affair. It was then when she discovered her talent for art and in 1996, she picked up the machine and started honing her craft. Two years later, Kat Von D started working in a professional shop, Sin City Tattoo, and moved on to Blue Bird Tattoo in Pasadena a year later. Other shops she has worked in include Inflictions and True Tattoo, where she worked with Clay Decker, Chris Garver and Tim Hendricks. It was then when she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her husband to be, a talented artist named Oliver Peck.

Kat Von D appears on LA Ink wherein she features her shop, High Voltage Tattoo and her various clients who have willingly shared their tattoo stories. LA Ink is a spin off of Miami Ink, where Kat Von D has also previously appeared in.





She collects vintage platform shoes and designer clothing.

She featured in an episode of 'Bam's Unholy Union'.

She is friends with Bam Margera and was a guest at his wedding, along with her husband.

After a fall out with the crew of Miami Ink at the end of season 2 of the show, Kat opened her own tattoo shop in LA. It opened in 2007 and a new show will air on TLC called "LA Ink.".

Ranked #62 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.



She is currently dating Nikki Sixx from the band Mötley Crüe.

Kat is starring in an upcoming film directed by Charlie Picemi, "The Bleeding". Its plot follows a man on a mission to rid the world of vampires, one of which is Kat Von D. The film is set to open in 2009. The Film stars Vinnie Jones, DMX, Michael Madsen and Michael Matthias.

In 2008, Kat was one of the contributors to Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's book "Cherry Bomb" along with Dita Von Teese, Tori Amos, Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Terri Nunn, Lisa Loeb, Katy Perry, Jessicka, Samantha Maloney, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, and Louise Post. She gave tips on tattooing.

Kat owns her own make-up line on Sephora, and is the creator of the Musink festival. She has a book compiling her artworks and tattoos coming out in January 2009, called High Voltage Tattoo. The book traces Kat's career as an artist, from early childhood influences to recent work, along with examples of what inspires her, information about the show and her shop, her sketches, and personal tattoos. The book goes deep into tattoo process and culture: readers can see up close the pigments, the tools, and the making of complex, even collaborative, tattoos. The book has a foreword by Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx and is published by Harper Collins.

Kat Von D was immortalized in the Eagles of Death Metal song 'High Voltage,' which was named after her shop and is featured on their third album 'Heart On.' In an interview, Eagles of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes said, 'I wrote that for Kat Von D, because that girl's bad ass. I was spinning one night, Hollywood rolling, it was like five in the morning, she was still at her shop with a couple of people, her High Voltage shop, and I came rolling in, we had fun. I'm home by seven in the morning and I'm sitting thinking what a rad night that was. I love this job. Bomb, 'High Voltage,' and then it came out.'

"Jesse is only my ninth boyfriend. I don’t hang out with anybody unless I am in love. I believe he is [the one] … Was it when we were playing Scrabble? I don’t remember. But it was something like that—when we both realized how nerdy we were."

Filmography

Actress:
2009: The Bleeding - Vanya

Self:
2008: Bam Margera Presents: Where the #$&% Is Santa?
2008: 2008 American Music Awards
2008: "Last Call with Carson Daly" (1 episode)
2008: "I Love the New Millennium" (3 episodes)
2008: "Denise Richards: It's Complicated" (1 episode)
2008: A-List Awards
2008: "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (2 episodes)
2008: "MADtv" (1 episode)
2008: "Free Radio" (1 episode)
2008: Countdown to the Red Carpet: The 2008 Academy Awards
2007-2008: "LA Ink" (4 episodes)
2007-2008: "Late Show with David Letterman" (2 episodes)
2007: "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (1 episode)
2007: "Tom Green Live!" (1 episode)
2007: "American Chopper: The Series" (1 episode)
2005-2006: "Miami Ink" (4 episodes)