Kat Von D (Katherine (or Kathy) von Drachenberg) (born March 8, 1982) is a popular Mexican-American tattoo artist from California, widely known for her work as a featured artist on the Miami Ink reality television show on TLC. Von D recently parted ways with the Miami Ink crew, and is slated to be the star in the upcoming LA Ink a new reality television show on TLC.
Von D's parents, father René Drachenberg and mother Sylvia Galeano, were born in Argentina, but Von D was born in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico . At the age of 4 the Drachenberg family emigrated to the United States. Von D's paternal origins are German, while her maternal origins are Spanish-Italian.
Von D gave her first tattoo, a Misfits skull, at the age of 14. She started working at her first tattoo shop at age 16. She is accomplished in portrait and realistic art with an emphasis on black and gray scale.
She lives in Hollywood, California and works at nearby True Tattoo shop[1], which is owned by Clay Decker. She has worked in Miami Beach, Florida, but only during filming of Miami Ink and has also been known to work at Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, Texas. She has an active touring schedule and is frequently a featured artist at tattooing conferences in the United States and Canada.
Von D is opening a tattoo shop in L.A. called High Voltage Tattoo sometime in the spring of 2007.
She is married to tattoo artist Oliver Peck.
Trivia
She makes a cameo appearance in HIM's music video for "Killing Loneliness".
She collects vintage platform shoes and designer clothing.
She was featured in an episode of American Chopper in a telephone call with the OCC crew. Paul Sr. hung up on her after a rude comment of qualifying the tattoo they've asked for as work for a first grader.[2]
She featured in an episode of Bam's Unholy Union.
She is friends with Bam Margera and was a guest at his wedding, along with her husband.
