Matt Shamah

Tattooing for over 33 years, Shamah has spent his career working and studying with some of the best tattoo minds that California and Japan have to offer.

His early years in Southern California saw him working at influential shops like Classic Tattoo and Six Feet Under, which eventually led to an invitation to work at the 2000 Tokyo Tattoo Convention. This pivotal moment sparked relationships with some of Japan's leading contemporary artists and set the foundation for the next 15 years, during which he split his time between the Bay Area's Analog Tattoo and Japan's Three Tides Tattoo in Osaka.

After well over a decade of splitting culture and time between the two, he chose to remain in California to focus on family and to begin building a body of work that reflects his deepest passion: Japanese tattooing. Always maintaining a curious, learning mindset, Shamah carries his core values directly into his work — honesty, integrity, creativity, work ethic, and dedication. His focus remains steadfast on the continued exploration of irezumi and ukiyo-e.