A community-minded tattooist committed to art in Welland

After honing his tattoo skills for several years, within Niagara and in other provinces, James Takeo wished to establish himself as a tattoo artist in downtown Welland, working in another tattoo studio. After working for someone else for a few years, James decided to venture into business for himself and open his own downtown tattoo studio.

Starting a self-run business is challenging at the best of times, and James’ experience was met with the unforeseen challenges of opening, owning, and operating a small business during a pandemic, when lockdowns directly impacted how and when many businesses could operate. However, he weathered those pitfalls and found himself getting progressively busier, how work more in demand, as the pandemic subsided and life returned to a new normal.

Having been in operation for more than four years, James is pleased and grateful to see James Takeo Tattoos and Visual Arts continue to flourish with steady work and months-in-advance bookings.

With a keen interest in Welland’s downtown, James has maintained a nearly decade long presence in the downtown core through art studios, pop-up galleries, various public art projects (the art wall at Hellems and East Main), and also community placemaking projects, such as Guerrilla Park. He is also an enthusiastic coordinate and co-organizer of the Welland Zombie Walk, which has taken place downtown for 13 years.

As someone who appreciates the support he’s received over the years, both for his business and personal projects, James gives back through ongoing involvement in the local arts and by serving on the Welland Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, Green Advisory Committee, and the Active Transportation Advisory Committee. He is also a proud board of directors member for the Welland Downtown BIA and the Welland Historical Museum. James believes that the role of an artist, as well as a local business owner, is to not only reflect his surroundings but also actively contribute to them.