Degenerate Team
Let us introduce you to the incredible team and the faces behind the art that keep Degenerate Art ticking day to day.
Before we do that lets give you a brief history of the studio and the philosophy we believe in.
Degenerate Art was formed by Kristian Jeffrey and Katie Leedham in the summer of 2014. The Studio went from strength to strength year on year becoming the largest, most established studio in Staffordshire and the Midlands. The Studio was later passed on and sold in December of 2021 to one of the studio Artist James Randall. The Studio continues to grow with 7 established award winning Artists and an Art Gallery on the Bottom floor.
The Philosophy of Degenerate Art is and always will be to provide the most relaxed and luxurious experience to our clients as well as incredible Art and Tattoos of course. We provide the best space, the best service and the highest quality Artists in their craft.
Artist/Owner
James has been tattooing since the age of 23 and had a vast portfolio of portraits beforehand which laid the foundations to a seamless transition to portraiture in tattooing.
Through much experimentation in oil painting, James soon discovered that this inspired his love for realism/surrealism.
James started working at Degenerate Art at the end of 2019. Since then his work has developed on all fronts which has led to him being invited to some of the biggest tattoo conventions in the world. As well as a feature in Global Tattoo magazine.
2 years on James went on to take ownership of Degenerate Art, in which many thanks were given to Kristian Jeffrey and Katie Leedham for the foundations that were laid.
James Randall
Michael Rigg
Daniel Tomkinson
Experienced Resident Artist
Mike is our longest serving artist, with over 15 years in the field.
With such a vast range of experience in all areas of tattooing, Mike can produce work for most styles.
Mikes preferred styles are bio-mechanical, realism and larger scale work.
He has been here at Degenerate Art for around 4 years and counting!
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Black and Grey Resident Artist
Dan has been tattooing for around 4 and a half years. Dan's portfolio consists of many black and grey portraits, realistic images and animals.
Dan's art experience stems from the surrealistic drawings he did in college and previous experience from high-school.
Dan started his tattoo career in Stafford, where he did around a year before moving onto his next studio. He specialised in line-work and script in his apprenticeship and then slowly moved towards realism.
Emily O'Sullivan
Resident Artist
Emily joined the studio in 2021, after doing fine art at university she then went onto tattooing in which she has 4 years + experience. Emily has expertise in several different areas, some of which included dot work and line work/illustrative pieces.
Her passion remains in more illustrative work and a sketched style of tattooing.
Clair Willet
Resident Artist
Character Specialist - Resident Artist
Clair started work at Degenerate Art early 2022, with her amazing talent and unique style she fit right in!
Clair loves more colourful and fun tattoos, with influence from things like Kawaii, Anime, Disney, Pokemon, Cartoons, Gaming, Popculture and anything cute.
Clair prefers bolder colours, or sketch style linework with watercolour.
With a very solid past of Art, Clair has studied many different medians some of which include painting and sculpting.
Brandon Archer
Resident Artist
Brandon has been tattooing since 2019 and loves any form of realism. He loves putting all the detail he can into his pieces and enjoys doing crossovers of different styles, from colour cartoon imagery to realism.
One thing Brandon does love is a good coverup, he will try lots of different techniques to get rid of old tattoos that people cant stand to see the sight of anymore!
Andy Hickenbottom
Resident Artist
Andy has joined the team in 2022, he has been tattooing for more than 7 years and started out as Kristian Jeffries apprentice.
He has drawn since a young age and is a good all rounder with tendencies towards pop culture style tattoos, this includes gaming, comic book style tattoos, manga and anime.
Chris Hart
Junior Artist
Chris has been a junior artist at Degenerate for around a year, and before this was the Studio Manager. During this time his passion for tattooing only grew, and within the previous year, his technique and talent has improved immensely. Chris is a versatile artist who can seamlessly switch between styles, providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience every time.
Josh Hawkins
Body Piercer
Josh started piercing in 2019 after a lifetime interest in body art. He works with some of the worlds finest body jewellery companies and loves working with different styles of jewellery to create unique and cohesive styles. Josh regularly keeps up to date with the latest techniques and safety practises and takes continuing education very seriously, travelling all over the world to learn from his peers. So, whether its small and dainty gold or large gauge piercing work that you're after, Josh is more than capable of looking after you and your needs.
Dani Hickenbottom
Laser Technician
Degenerate Art is excited to introduce you to our new team member, Dani, who will be delivering the latest and greatest laser treatments! Dani is dedicated to providing her clients with the best laser treatments in the industry. Her passion lies in delivering safe, effective and long-lasting results that exceed clients’ expectations. Recently trained in cosmetic procedures, Dani uses the latest technology and techniques to treat a variety of skin concerns.
Kristian Amos
Tattoo Apprentice
Kristian has pursued art since a young age. After leaving high-school he went on to do a 2 year art course where he really developed his art skills.
Kristian is our latest apprentice and has been with us for 7 months now. We can't wait to see him grow as his skills continue to improve.
Jess Monschke
Studio Manager
Meet Jess, the studio manager at Degenerate Art. She is responsible for all the logistics of the studio, including managing diaries, messages, emails, and everything else that ensures our clients have a seamless and enjoyable experience. She also brews a mean cup of tea! Come visit us and see why Degenerate Art is the best tattoo studio in town!