Kat von D

"I am a canvas of my experiences, my story is etched in lines and shading,

and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders, and my stomach. "

Katherine Drachenberg (born March 8, 1982), known professionally as Kat Von D  is an American tattoo artist and television personality. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink.

Kat Von D was born in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Her parents are Argentinean-Mexican. Her father, René Drachenberg, is of German descent and her mother, Sylvia Galeano, is of Italian and Spanish descent. She moved with her family to the Los Angeles area at age 4 and grew up in Colton, California.Von D was classically trained in piano beginning at age 6. She particularly appreciates Ludwig van Beethoven.

She credits the prominent Latino culture of Los Angeles as being a major influence drawing tattoos in her art and style. She began listening to the Ramones, Misfits and other punk rock bands at the age of 12. She got her first tattoo at 14 and quit school at 16 to become a tattoo artist.

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