Artists Series #2
Wang Jun, Resident Artist
Shanghai Tattoo, Folsom
LAO WANG
Artist Series: Wang Jun (Lao Wang)
For Wang Jun, better known as Lao Wang, art has been part of his life for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Shanghai, China, he was surrounded by creativity, from the drawings his older sister taught him to make as a child to the graffiti, paintings, and artwork that filled the neighborhood around his home.
Originally from a family in Hefei, China, Wang spent his childhood in Shanghai, where his family lived right next to the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art and Design. Being surrounded by art students and their work made a lasting impression on him. His older sister was also a talented artist who encouraged him to draw, and between the two influences, he developed a love for art at an early age.
Michelangelo, Bernini and the 5,000 meters
Growing up, Wang was especially fascinated by Renaissance oil paintings and classical sculptures. Artists like Michelangelo and Bernini became major influences, and their work continues to inspire him today. He also had a talent for athletics. Before turning 16, he was among the top 5,000-meter runners in his age group in Shanghai and once considered pursuing long-distance running as a career.
But it was art that ultimately won him over.
The documentary that changed his plans
While studying drawing at art school in Shanghai, Wang watched a documentary about tattooing that completely changed his plans. He can’t remember the name of the film anymore, but he remembers walking away from it knowing two things: he wanted to spend the rest of his life tattooing, and he wanted to cover his own body in tattoos.
In 2013, he traveled to Beijing to attend a tattoo training course, where he learned the basics of using a tattoo machine. Much of what followed came through his own experimentation, curiosity, and countless hours of practice. He eventually made the decision to leave art school and dedicate himself entirely to tattooing, making it his first and only career.
Getting started wasn’t exactly easy. At just 16 years old, Wang struggled to find anyone willing to let a young beginner tattoo them. After searching online, he finally found someone in another city who agreed to be his model. Wang paid for his own transportation, traveled to meet someone he’d never met before, and ended up tattooing them for approximately 30 hours straight without taking a proper break.
It’s still one of the craziest experiences he remembers from his early years.
A decade with Shanghai Tattoo
In 2016, at just 18 years old, Wang decided to send his portfolio and résumé to Zhuo Dan Ting, founder of Shanghai Tattoo. Ting’s response was simple:
“You can come give it a try.”
That invitation began a relationship with Shanghai Tattoo that has now lasted a decade. Wang became part of the original Shanghai team and eventually made the move to California, where he continues tattooing at the studio in Historic Folsom.
Throughout his career, Wang’s appreciation for classical art has remained a major part of his identity. He’s particularly drawn to Renaissance sculptures and oil paintings, finding inspiration in artwork that has remained beautiful and influential for hundreds of years. He enjoys bringing those influences into his tattooing, especially through realism and detailed interpretations of classical subjects.
Kraftwerk, soul and antique silver
Outside the shop, Wang has a strong appreciation for music, fashion, and collecting things with history and character.
He’s a huge fan of old-school electronic music, especially Kraftwerk, along with soul music. Music is such a big part of his life that he says there’s almost always something playing whenever he’s home. Whether he’s drawing, relaxing, or spending time around the house, music is usually part of the atmosphere.
Wang also has a passion for vintage clothing, antique silver jewelry, vinyl records, and decorative art objects. His interest in fashion and older, handcrafted pieces is a big part of his personal style. Of everything he collects, though, his favorite pieces are handmade tattoo machines. He appreciates the craftsmanship and history behind them, and the connection they have to tattooing’s past.
Two cats in Shanghai
When he’s not drawing, listening to records, or adding to his collections, Wang enjoys cooking and traveling. He’s also a longtime fan of Western films, although he admits he hasn’t spent much time watching movies in recent years.
Back in Shanghai, Wang has two cats that he adopted around the time he first started tattooing. When he moved to the United States, his mother took over caring for them. The cats still mean a great deal to him, and he even has both of them tattooed on his body.
Despite his heavily tattooed appearance and distinctive fashion sense, Wang says people are sometimes surprised by his personality. He’s naturally introverted, gentle, and extremely patient, quite different from the rebellious or intimidating impression some people might have when they first meet him.
A simple dream
There’s also a thoughtful side to Wang that goes beyond his interest in art and tattooing. When he was younger, he dreamed of becoming a volunteer art teacher in a rural village in China, helping children discover drawing the same way he did growing up. Even today, he believes that would be a meaningful way to spend his life if he weren’t tattooing.
As for his future, Wang’s ambitions are surprisingly simple. He wants to continue drawing, learning, and developing his own artistic style while enjoying the life he’s built around tattooing.
He has a particular vision of what he’d like his life to look like at 45 years old:
Coffee in the morning, a body covered in tattoos, and a bike ride to the studio.
Waking up in the morning, having a cup of coffee, looking in the mirror at a body completely covered in tattoos, then getting on his bicycle and riding to the studio to spend the day drawing or tattooing.
For someone who grew up surrounded by art in Shanghai and has spent nearly his entire adult life pursuing it, that sounds like a pretty fitting dream.
