We’re thrilled to welcome another great custom lettering and black and grey realism artist to our humble Burlington studio. There are so many things that make Jako very special. Apart from the great lettering and realism tattoos you see featured on his Instagram profile, he is comfortable, and dare we say excels, in doing any tattoo style. From minimalist, traditional, illustrative, even color and watercolor style tattoos, he has grown to a senior tattoo artist by priding himself with doing any tattoo he comes across. He will happily send you to another artist or studio if he’s not a 100% on delivering your vision, we’re just impressed by the rare talent of being confident in so many different styles. With his 10+ years as an artist, it makes us think of Asia and Anita who are also very rare in being able to handle so many styles.

Jako is a proud father of 2 children, with one on the way. As a family man, he prides himself on doing great work and being there for his family. We’re so blessed that his move to Burlington to be closer to his partner has led him to our studio and encourage anyone to reach out to him either via his

Instagram or fill out our estimation/request form  for him to reach out.

We’re so excited to welcome Rehanna as the newest member of our extended tattoo family at our North York studio! She’ll be joining us on a part-time basis and we we’re happy to have her creative energy in the studio.

Rehanna’s love for art began early, she developed a passion for drawing at 12 years old and has been dedicated to her craft ever since. In 2020, she began studying behavioural psychology, but when the world shifted to online learning, she jumped into fully pursuing her artistic path. That decision led her to begin her tattoo apprenticeship in Barrie, where she trained under two artists before continuing her journey in Toronto.

In Toronto, she connected with a mentor who truly took her under his wing, helping her grow not only as a tattoo artist but also as a creative professional. Through that experience, she built meaningful relationships and had the opportunity to collaborate with some incredible artists in the city.

After working in Midland throughout 2025, Rehanna realized how much she missed tattooing in the city environment, which makes us grateful that her journey has brought her to our studio.

Her work beautifully reflects her interests in nature, occultism, and spirituality. She especially excels in blackwork, where her attention to detail and strong illustrative style truly shine, but she’s always open to exploring a variety of styles and creative ideas with her clients.

Outside of the studio, you’ll likely find her drawing, loving cats and tarot, along with enjoying a good coffee or going for long walks.

If you’re interested in booking with Rehanna, please reach out to her directly via Instagram or fill out our estimation/request form on the website.

Mikhail has been part of our studios for over a decade, and in that time, he’s risen to become one of the most respected black and grey hyper-realism artists in the GTA—arguably across North America. His relentless drive and infectious passion are evident in every piece he creates. As Mikhail puts it, “It’s all about the details”— and his work proves it, time and time again.

Mikhail is a partner in his own studio in Toronto and tattoos out of our Burlington studio up-to a couple of days a week. For bookings, please check out his Instagram page or his website https://www.projectlegacy.ca/ or fill out our estimation / request form.

Christel is not only a very gifted and versatile tattoo artist, she is one of the friendliest and nicest human beings we’ve encountered in a while.

As an avid animal lover, Christel frequently volunteers at animal shelters and selflessly shares her time working with animal charities. Recently, her volunteering took her to Costa Rica, where she worked on helping with horses and various animal species (seeing her work with sloths just melted our hearts).

Christel is comfortable doing various tattoos styles. What attracted us to her as an artist is her fine line work and expertise when it comes to cover-up tattoos. Christel over the past few years has worked hard in perfecting her scar cover-up skills (see her website for sample work of 3d nipple tattoos and scar masking tattoos), combined with her color work and her stunning drawing, we’re proud to be associated with her.

Note that Christel has a private tattoo studio in Oakville and is currently only available at our studio based on appointments. Drop us an email via info@paintedpeople.net if interested.

We’re thrilled to welcome Hugh, who is a seasoned professional tattoo artist of over 10 years, to our North York tattoo studio starting in December.

Hugh’s artwork speaks for itself. As someone that does stunning traditional tattoos, we quickly bonded with him based on his passion of art and general outlook on life. We’re confident his personality is a great mesh for our studio and all of our clients.  

Reach out to Hugh via justhughsteele@gmail.com or stop by our Toronto tattoo studio any Tuesday to Saturday to say hi.

Rebecca is a natural artist quickly honing in her skills as an apprentice in our Toronto studio. From a very young age, Rebecca has enjoyed all forms of art ranging from film and animation to painting and illustrations.

Similar to her mentor, Ashley, Rebecca describes herself as an introverted individual who’s confidence and expression comes out in her work, and, in her ever changing hair color.Rebecca has an interesting outlook on getting tattoos, seeing them parable to decorating one’s home. Rebecca, who relates to being shy and feeling awkward, feels a sense of empowerment from decorating your own space. She wants to help others in their own quests for empowerment while flexing her artistic abilities.

The tattoo styles she’s most interested in are blackwork, pointillism, and Japanese traditional flowers. Rebecca loves to continuously grow and learn new art styles, and is always seeking available canvases to practice her craft. Reach out to her via her Instagram or stop by our Toronto studio any Tuesday, Friday or Saturday to say hi.

Gelene (or Gel), as many natural born artists tend to do, has been creating art since a child. Her work ranged from drawings to illustrations and led her to acquire an Advanced Diploma in Media Arts from Sheridan College in Oakville. Originally from Manila, Philippines, she moved around with her family during most of her youth, also having lived in Jakarta, Indonesia before moving and building roots in Toronto, Canada.

As a tattoo artist, she enjoys different types of styles though her favourite is abstract especially when it’s a fusion of different cultures. She loves doing custom work most especially when the client is open to a collaborative rapport. She’s here not just to put ink onto your skin but to help you express yourself in various ways that are unique to your worldviews, personalities, and experiences. She feels privileged in being able to be part of an anthropological alchemy that has started since the dawn of time; if we look at the grander scheme of the process, the alchemy really comes into play when clients come to us with very personal matters that they want to express through their tattoo(s).

Gel is a scuba diver and hiker who loves checking out arts & culture as she travels. Locally, she hits the gym, does hot yoga, and practices Krav Maga martial arts.

Gel is available for bookings in our North York studio mainly Saturdays and Sundays. Feel free to reach her via email or check out her profile below

Brooke is a “new” artist in every sense of the word – she redefines what a tattoo artist might look like. Not to say that there is such a thing as a certain “tattoo artist look” since we’re all unique, and proudly carry our own style and character; however, Brooke redefines many things.

Our young artist got involved in art at the tender age of 3 when she started doodling. This may be so for many of us, but what separates Brooke from others is when, at the at of 16, she took doodling to the next level and started working part time at a tattoo studio in order to study from other artists.

She was trained at doing piercings by the age of 18, but after realizing that her true passion was in drawing and expressing herself via permanent art, Brooke changed paths to become a tattoo artist. Now, Brooke has been under our wing for a number of years, first as an apprentice being trained by her figuratively adopted mother Asia, and we’re proud to see her grow into a very capable tattoo artist today!

Brooke can be unassuming. The 5”1, quiet, attractive and very focused artist frequently agonizes over producing the most amazing work – a trait that is often attached to perfectionists. With over a thousand of tattoos under her belt and extensive training on safety and cleanliness handling, it’s very easy to forget that Brooke is still early in her career. Brooke has long moved away from script and simpler tattoos towards inventing her own tattoo style. Specializing in floral and general minimalist tattoos, we’re super proud to see where Brooke’s already impressive artist career takes her next.

Asia has been tattooing for over 15 years. Her rich resume, apart from owning a tattoo studio, includes roles such as painter, volunteer, designer, music dabbler, and more. Finding her calling at the age of 16, she studied tattooing, first independently, and then as an apprentice to a number of celebrated artists before becoming one herself.

Tattooing is a passion for Asia. She loves creating livable, permanent art through that passion. When she’s not creating, Asia enjoys carrying for her pets, spending time with her family, watching movies, playing old video games, sucking at soccer (or football if we’re being all European) and unloading cat sounds with her husband Nick for general amusement of herself and others.