Chris Henry of (Southwestern Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA) is a well known and highly regarded Pittsburgh area tattoo artist.
Beginnings
Chris Henry grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh area. He graduated from Charleroi High School in 1990 and attended the University of Pittsburgh for Mechanical Engineering and minoring in physics. Christarted getting tattooed in his mid teens. By 1991 he was fully sleeved, having received the bulk of his work from Craig Helmich at Island Avenue Tattoo and Chris Garver, a long-time friend and mentor.
Career
I’ve been tattooing since 1991, having started in the Pittsburgh area, and working there til early 1994. At that point, I received an offer too good to refuse: a position at world-famous Philadelphia Eddie’s Tattoo. I worked for Eddie until 1998, working Noon to Midnight, six days a week. In 1998, I had had enough of the big city and relocated to the Midwest, working for my friend Steve Gold at Wisconsin’s second-oldest tattoo shop, Steve’s Tattoo. I helped him launch his Oshkosh location, and also launched a third location for him in Steven’s Point, WI. In 2001. I ran the Point location for about two years, at which point I was asked to relocate to the Seattle area to assist my friend Joe with his busy shop near the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where I worked day in and day out tattooing primarily the men and women of our Armed Forces.
In 2006, I moved back to Pittsburgh after the passing of my Father and Grandmother, and eventually landed at World-famous Island Avenue Tattoo, where I started my tattoo odyssey over twenty years ago. The past few years I have done a great bit of traveling and numerous guest spots, but I call Island Avenue home. The never-ending support, generosity, and positive energy of Jim, Coco, and the rest of the crew here strengthens me and reminds me that I always have a home in my hometown. I feel blessed that life has come full circle and I get to work where this pretty much all started!
I focus on always making everything I do solid, bright, and put tattoos in the skin to last. My primary focus is on traditional American and Japanese style work, but I am comfortable working in numerous other styles, such as Black and Grey, Celtic and Tribal, and realism….
I live in the Pittsburgh area with my wife, Sarah, and our two beautiful APBTs, Dekker and Ruby.
Honors
Chris Henry’s work has been featured in dozens upon dozens of books and magazines. It has won many awards at local and international conventions, the biggest one being “Best Overall” at the world’s biggest convention, held by Mario Barth at the Meadowlands, NJ in 2002.
Island Avenue tattoo Company
715 Island Avenue
McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania 15136
telephone: (412) 331-9226
fax: (412) 200-5382
Email: mailt:info@killertat.com
Website – - Famous Island Ave. Tattoo Shop
Hours:
Monday-Saturday 12 pm – 8 pm
Closed Sunday