Once known for her iconic ink and high-profile tattoo career, Kat Von D is now making headlines for doing something no one saw coming – covering up most of her body art with “true black ink.”
Kat Von D, who was born Katherine von Drachenberg, has been a household name in the tattoo world since her breakout days on LA Ink, a reality show she starred for four seasons.
Her signature gothic style, high-profile clientele, and jaw-dropping artistry made her one of the most recognizable faces in tattoo culture.
But in recent years, the star has been on a completely different journey and what sparked the dramatic transformation is shocking.
Miles Davis tattoo
In March 2017, the celebrity tattoo artist shared a photo of a tattoo she inked of Miles Davis on a friend.
“Can’t believe this is first time I’ve gotten to tattoo a portrait of MilesDavis! [thank you, Blake for letting me tattoo you!],” she captioned the Instagram post that shows her inking her acquaintance.
The tattoo was inspired by a 1989 portrait taken by photographer Jeffrey Sedlik, showing the legendary jazz musician gazing straight into the camera, one finger resting on his lips.
The striking image originally appeared on the cover of JAZZIZ magazine, a publication dedicated to celebrating the world of jazz.
And Von D’s reproduction of the picture captured the attention of almost 85,000 fans on Instagram and several thousand more on Facebook.
Unfortunately, it also grabbed the interest of Sedlik.
‘Just ridiculous’
The photographer argued that Von D, 43, used his copyrighted image of the late Davis without permission.
During the three day trial in January 2024, Von D said that she never licenses the images she recreates, and she considers work like the Davis tattoo a form of “fan art,” AP reports.
“I made zero money off it,” she testified. “I’m not mass-producing anything. I think there is a big difference.”
Deciding that the reproduction of a photo of the celebrated jazz musician in a tattoo did not violate copyright law, the jury ruled unanimously in favor of the Mexican-born American tattooist.
“We’ve said all along that this case never should have been brought,” Von D’s attorney Allen B. Grodsky said after the verdict, AP writes. “The jury recognized that this was just ridiculous.”
Emotionally draining
Outside the courtroom, Von D said the ink was a gift to a friend and was “very happy for this to be over.”
“It’s been two years of a nightmare worrying about this, not just for myself but for my fellow tattoo artists,” she shared.
Despite the successful outcome, the former star of Miami Ink explained that the experience was emotionally draining.
“I think I don’t want to ever tattoo again, my heart has been crushed through this in different ways,” Von D shared after her victory. “We’ll see with time.”
Black body art
In fact, the whole ordeal pushed her to step back from the ink world. And instead of going full Pete Davidson and laser-zapping away her body art – she said she “wasn’t a good candidate” given how much she had to remove – the recording artist made a bold move to blackout 80% of her tattoos.
To clarify, this means the mother covered her body art with black ink.
“[Seven] sessions, and almost 40 accumulative hours later, we are about 80% done with blacking out my body,” she writes in an October 2023 Instagram post alongside a clip of her blackout body art.
“I had many tattoos that represented a part of my life that no longer aligns with who I am today. Some people are fine with keeping these types of landmarks in time on them – I personally grew tired of waking up to them and seeing those constant reminders every time I looked in a mirror.”
Referring to the black ink covering her skin, she explained that she “loves the esthetic,” and that she knows “it’s not for everyone.”
“It is very satisfying to me to see a clean slate when I look down onto my arms,” she writes, adding a warning to haters: “Maybe before commenting any negativity, just remind yourself: What you consider ugly, might be beautiful to someone else.”
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