Dean Carlyle Born in New Zealand in 1979, Dean has been tattooing since 2001 and drawing ever since he could hold a pencil. After a year or so tattooing in NZ Dean wanted to broaden his horizons, so off he went for a stint in Hollywood, California. However, Hollywood didn’t quite have the creative-minded people he was looking for, so he soon boarded a plane to Sydney and got a space here at Steel Lotus, where he’s been happily tattooing since 2003. Driven by his great passion for tattooing original artwork, Dean gathers inspiration from many of the great painters and tattooists of past and present, striving for perfection with every piece and endeavouring to make the whole experience comfortable and personal for each individual. Dean is a firm believer in planning ahead with the design to ensure complete client satisfaction. He prefers to work by first consulting with each client to gather the individual’s ideas and specifications, then creating a full drawing of the tattoo, so the client can see exactly what the finished tattoo will look like, and make changes if necessary. Dean is committed to raising the standard of tattooing ever higher, and as bodyart becomes more socially acceptable, will continue to play his part in the evolution of the art of the tattoo.