Horiyoshi III
Horiyoshi III, by own name Nakano Yoshihito is one of the top Japanese tattoo masters. He was born on the 9th of March 1946 in Japan.
For decades Horiyoshi III became known as the ambassador of Japanese traditional Irezumi tattooing. Befriending people like Mr. Don Ed Hardy in the early 1980ies he made extensive travels to the west showing his skills and artwork, which was always in high demand. Within 40 years of practicing of traditional Japanese irezumi, drawing and painting, he has reached an impressive level in his craft.
Horiyoshi III had numerous exhibitions both in Japan and Overseas and has he donated some of his art to Buddhist zen temples across Japan. One of the artwork was donated to help Gyokuryuji temple in Gifu Prefecture, partly destroyed by fire. Charity plays an important role in the masters life. After the Tohoku disaster in 2011 he immediately produced artwork for sale to collect funds for the badly affected children of the Tsunami and radiation struck area in northern Japan.
Horiyoshi III is recently concentrating on the production of traditional Japanese silkscreen paintings, which are being mounted on the traditional silk scrolls called Kakejiku. He has received a lot of guidance concerning technique by his best friend, the late Ozuma Kaname, famous silkscreen painter. After Ozuma died in 2011, Horiyoshi III takes pride in being the one in whom the spirit of Ozuma-sensei can live on.
The Yokohama Tattoo Museum was founded by Horiyoshi III in the year 2000. All items shown are from Horiyoshi III’s personal collection, next to Japanese traditional tattoo equipment from all centuries, many items are original artworks by famous tattooers from around the world, like Ed Hardy, The Leu Family, Mick Tattoo, Luke Atkinson, Hanky Panky, Lal Hardy, George Bone, and many, many more. He is showing a vast tattoo machine collection alongside tattooed shrunken heads and other tattooed skins and skulls. A lot of original art prints and old photos portraying tattoo history are part of the collection.
Media
Videos about Horiyoshi III: Video of Horiyoshi III drawing a dragon at King of Tattoo convention in Tokyo is here. Interview by The Guardian U.K. here. Horiyoshi III painting a silk scroll here. Video of Horiyoshi III tattooing by hand (TEBORI) here. Video report by the HISTORY CHANNEL about traditional Japanese full body tattoos with Horiyoshi III here. Calligraphy by Horiyoshi III here. Old video of Japanese Full Body Tattoo by Horiyoshi III here.
Social Pages: Horiyoshi the Third Facebook here, personal Yoshihito Nakano here, Instagram here.
Articles on our pages:
Horiyoshi III at his studio in Yokohama
Horiyoshi III met Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado
Horiyoshi III exhibition
Horiyoshi III opening
Horiyoshi tattoo museum
Horiyoshi dragons
Horiyoshi III – opening of exhibition of drawings
Horiyoshi III – exhibition of own drawings in Tokyo
Horiyoshi III – famous tattoo master of Japan
Horiyoshi III in FCCJ-2.part
Horiyoshi III. in FCCJ demonstrated Japanese tebori tattoo style-1.part
