Artists Series #3
Resident Artist
Shanghai Tattoo, Folsom
GABRIEL KAYLOR
Artist Series: Gabriel Kaylor
From illustration to tattooing at Shanghai Tattoo. Every artist at Shanghai Tattoo has their own story, and Gabriel’s journey started with a love for drawing, an appreciation for nature, and a whole lot of curiosity about the world around her.
From growing up in Florida to discovering anime, studying graphic design, and eventually becoming a tattoo artist under Zhuo Dan Ting, Gabriel has always found ways to bring her creative interests into her work.
Growing up between Florida and California
Born in Vallejo, California, Gabriel spent much of her childhood growing up in Brandon, Florida, before returning to California in 2012.
As a kid, she loved spending time outdoors, whether that meant fishing, swimming, boating, martial arts, or playing airsoft. She also spent countless hours drawing, especially realistic animal portraits.
Gabriel is proudly Filipino-American and queer, and grew up in a diverse, supportive family that taught her to celebrate and embrace who she is. With family members from different ethnic backgrounds and many who are also part of the LGBTQ+ community, she learned early on the importance of acceptance, individuality, and standing up for others. These values remain incredibly important to her today, and she’s passionate about helping create a tattoo community where people of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome, and respected.
From drawing to tattooing
Art has been a constant in Gabriel’s life for as long as she can remember.
After returning to California, she discovered anime and began exploring new illustration styles beyond the realistic animals and portraits she drew growing up.
She eventually studied Graphic Design and Web Development, worked on freelance illustration projects, and spent time as a teacher’s assistant for an art professor at Folsom Lake College.
Although tattooing wasn’t originally part of her career plan, encouragement from her family helped convince her to give it a shot.
In early 2023, Gabriel began reaching out to tattoo shops and showing her portfolio, hoping to find an apprenticeship. Her search eventually brought her to Shanghai Tattoo, where she began training under Zhuo Dan Ting in February 2023.
Gabriel describes watching Ting tattoo as being similar to watching a painter at work, with every movement intentional and confident.
Like watching a painter at work.
Even after years of training, she still finds herself learning something new whenever she watches Ting work.
After more than two years of training under Ting, Gabriel officially completed her apprenticeship in August 2025, becoming a fully qualified professional tattoo artist at Shanghai Tattoo.
Anime, gothic art, and finding her own style
Gabriel’s artwork reflects a wide range of interests, from anime and pop culture to nature, gothic illustration, and grunge-inspired designs.
She especially enjoys tattooing anime characters, animals, plants, and gothic ornamentals.
As she continues developing her style, she’s interested in experimenting with larger abstract designs that follow the natural shapes of the body, combining illustrative elements with ornamental work.
For Gabriel, tattooing is another way to explore the different forms of art she’s enjoyed throughout her life.
Plants, Magic cards, and unusual collections
Outside the tattoo shop, Gabriel has a pretty interesting collection of hobbies.
She’s a big Magic: The Gathering fan, loves thrifting and antique shopping, and collects rare tropical plants.
She’s also fascinated by natural history and has a collection of animal skulls, pinned insects, preserved specimens, rocks, and minerals. Her collection sounds like a cross between a natural history museum and an antique shop, with a few anime figures mixed in.
Music is another big part of her life. Her playlists cover just about everything, including folk, bluegrass, blues, R&B, hyperpop, metalcore, and punk.
And when it comes to anime, some of her favorites include Dorohedoro, Chobits, Psycho-Pass, and Darker Than Black.
When she’s not working on art or adding to her collections, Gabriel enjoys hiking, discovering new swimming spots, exploring restaurants, and spending time with her two grey cats, Junk and Sterling.
She also enjoys experimenting with other artistic mediums, including photography, woodworking, watercolor, oil painting, digital illustration, and printmaking.
Creating a welcoming space for everyone
One of the things Gabriel values most about tattooing is the opportunity to connect with people.
Naturally shy growing up, she credits tattooing with helping her become more comfortable meeting new people and building relationships.
Her upbringing in a diverse, supportive family and her own experiences as a queer artist have shaped the way she approaches her work. She wants people from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, to feel welcome, comfortable, and respected when getting tattooed.
Collaborative, personal, and enjoyable.
Whether someone is getting their very first tattoo or working on a larger project, Gabriel wants the experience to be collaborative, personal, and enjoyable.
As she continues growing as an artist, she’s excited to explore new styles, take on larger projects, and keep learning from the talented artists around her at Shanghai Tattoo.
What started with a love for drawing and a few visits to local tattoo shops has turned into a career where Gabriel gets to share her creativity with others every day.
Interested in getting tattooed by Gabriel? Visit Shanghai Tattoo in Historic Folsom, California, and check out her work on Instagram at @orange.pie.
