The 12th Annual Australian Tattoo Expo attracted thousands of tattoo-loving fans from all over the globe.
The three-day festival is being held at Sydney’s International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour with events running from Friday right through to Sunday.
Saturday’s crowd was treated to the fan-favorite Ugliest Tattoo Competition, which saw attendees show off their worst tattoos.
Many Simpsons characters were included in the list.
Other highlights include a massive unfinished koi fish, a gorgeous rendering of the word moo’, and a sketchy cat.
The competition will award prizes such as joke trophies and tattoo removal vouchers.
Nicole, age 28, was awarded the title of winner for her Phoenix Bird tattoo back. The competition sponsor paid Nicole to have it removed.
The huge event brought together more than 400 of Australia’s most renowned tattoo artists to share new ink.
After being caught trying to enter with fake tattoos, a cheeky contestant was seen running from the venue.
For those not looking for any new tattoos, the expo offered the chance to learn about different genres, trends, and techniques.
At least one person got her first tattoo at the event.
There are many side shows, including fire dancers and sword swallowers.
Organizers stated that Australian Tattoo Expo places a strong emphasis on talent and encourages the public to visit the event.
The Australian Tattoo Expo is the best place to get introduced to tattooing and other body art.
Other major events included a live chat featuring Ami James, a celebrity Hollywood tattoo artist, and Sydney’s-own Kian Real from Authentic Ink.
Ami, who is Jewish and served in the Israeli military, was cast for one of the first reality shows on the TLC network, Miami Ink.
He was paired with Kat Von D, a controversial beauty influencer.
Kat was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks about Ami at the time. However, she strongly refutes these allegations.
When asked about the comments by Daily Mail Australia on Saturday, Ami said: ‘Many people do (make anti-Semitic comments), just leave it at that.’
Attendees paid $45 for a single-day pass to the event, but multi-day passes could be purchased online.
The expo also marks the launch of the Competitive Tattooing Association Australia’s Tattoo Series competition.
The competition will see Australia’s top tattoo artists compete to win a $60,000 prize.
The competition will be held over seven rounds, with the expo making its way through each state capital. It will end in Melbourne on December 3.
Three categories will be awarded: a solo artist will receive $30,000; a collaboration series could win $20,000; and $10,000 will go to the winner of the people’s choice.
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