Iron Gate Tattoo Convention: A look at the vibrant and striking designs as the world’s best artists converge in Sydney

Some of Australia’s most prestigious tattoo artists converged on Sydney this weekend to showcase their skills at the country’s premier tattoo convention.

More than 315 tattoo artists came from around the world to attend the Iron Gate Tattoo Convention at the Hordern Pavilion, in Moore Park in Sydney’s east, between Friday and Sunday.

Thousands of heavily inked customers, or “canvas,” had the tats planned with their artists well in advance of the event, with different styles, sizes and placements for each person.

In addition to making their ‘canvases’ happy, artists also competed for a host of prizes, ranging from ‘best realistic’ to ‘best fine line’ to ‘best of the day’.

Some particularly wild tattoos included a man getting a traditional Japanese-style devil tattoo on his head and a script tattoo of ‘Nevermore’ – Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem – on a woman’s abdomen.

Thousands of heavily inked clients, or ‘canvasses’, booked a session with their favorite artists well in advance of the event, with numerous tattoo styles available in a variety of sizes and placements

In addition to making their canvases happy, artists also competed with each other for a host of awards ranging from Best Realistic to Best Fine Line

Other prizes included Best Oriental, Best Japanese and Best Lettering, while Best of the Day and a coveted Best of Show prize were also up for grabs.

Of the many styles on display, traditional and neo-traditional Japanese tattoos were among the most popular

It showed a man with a traditional Japanese tattoo of a green dragon on the wing, a tattoo that is a staple of Japan’s not-so-underground gangs, the Yakuza.

‘Only this and nothing more’, thank you: A woman was seen getting a script tattoo of the famous Edgar Allan Poe poem ‘Nevermore’ on the lower two-thirds of her breast

Artists also wanted to show off the ink they had received themselves

Popular tattoo styles at the convention included the ever-fashionable traditional and neo-traditional tattoos of both American and Japanese origins.

A man was seen getting an update to his Japanese tattoo of a green dragon on the fullback, a style and placement that is popular within Japanese culture as it is synonymous with the not-so-underground gangs called the Yakuza.

Another man who got a tattoo on his right bicep happily showed off his colored tattoo of a Japanese Oni, or demon.

However, new styles and placements have recently come into fashion, with the sleek and often symmetrical geometric designs beginning to take up more and more space on the customer’s skin.

Some were depicted with tattoos on areas known to be extremely painful, such as the ear, neck and skull.

Some event attendees spend hours at the convention getting large tattoos with intricate details

A brave man has had the top of his skull, one of the few places where he appears to be tattooed, inked with what appears to be a traditional demon or bat tattoo

Areas of skin with little fat, such as the top of a skull or the neck, are known to be more painful

However, some people are so used to the pain that they can casually check their phone

Modern designs like this man’s geometric tattoos have been on the rise in recent years, with many opting for this style for its ‘cleaner’ edges

The convention also provided access to numerous tattoo art exhibitions, one of which called ‘Depictions of Hell’ features art from 60 world-renowned artists who have committed to donating 20 percent of every artwork purchase to the suicide prevention charity, In Pieces Together , to send.

The charity recently created a piece that is broken down into 250 puzzle pieces that can be purchased for $200 each and tattooed on the buyer.

Together the puzzle forms a work of art by legendary Australian tattoo artist Gummy Johnston depicting a battle between a snake, dragon and eagle, also known as the ‘battle royale’ tattoo which has been a popular design for over 100 years.

Other exhibits include images by acclaimed Japanese photographer Sakiki Nomura, who cataloged men with traditional tattoos from the Edo period, 1603 to 1868.

Famous for her profile photos, Ms. Nomura photographed barely naked men of different ages to document the Iki (urbanity) and Inase (chivalry) of this style.

Although they require more frequent maintenance, colored tattoos are a large part of neo-traditional Japanese tattoos

While many may see modern designs as the only new changes in tattooing, placing tattoos on the side of the head and especially on the ear has rapidly become more popular in recent years.

Chin tattoos associated with indigenous cultures such as the Maori people of New Zealand have also become more popular

The convention also hosted art exhibitions from numerous tattoo artists past and present, with one pledging that 20 percent of all sales will go to tattoo-focused suicide prevention charity In Pieces Together.

The charity raised money to help destigmatize suicide by auctioning off 250 individual puzzle pieces that make up a tattoo of a battle between a dragon, eagle and a snake – known as ‘battle royale’ – by legendary tattoo artist Gummy Johnston