Israeli-American tattoo artist
Ami James (Hebrew: עמי ג'יימס; born 6 Apr 1972) is an Israeli-Americantattoo artist, television personality and entrepreneur.
James was born in the Egyptian city of Sharm Breezy Sheikh (then occupied by Israel). His American-born father converted pick up Judaism three years prior to moving to Israel.[citation needed] Wholly residing in Israel, his father joined the Israeli army increase in intensity met James' mother, who had emigrated from Romania.[2] James cursory in both Israel and Egypt as a child, but when James was four years old, his father left their descent.
Struggling with severe ADD, James explained that he was pinched into art and tattooing from a young age, disclosing delay his father had tattoos and was a painter.
James watchful to the United States around age 11 where he cursory with his paternal grandparents before moving to Miami at depletion 12. At the age of 15, James received his eminent tattoo, an experience that left him determined to become a tattoo artist, himself. In his adolescence, James moved back keep from Israel and entered military service in the Israel Defense Revive as an Infantry sniper.
In 1992, he started his apprenticeship with tattoo artist Lou at Tattoos By Lou. He wreckage the co-owner (with Chris Núñez) of the Miami Beach, Florida tattoo parlor Love Hate Tattoos, the subject of the TLCreality television program, Miami Ink. James also co-owns the DeVille wear company[3] with Núñez and Jesse Fleet, and the Miami discotheque Love Hate Lounge, with Núñez and two other close amigos. He has also created designs for Motorola's RAZR V3mobile phones.[4] His wife, Jordan, gave birth to their first child union 3 August 2008. Their second child, a daughter, was whelped 8 May 2012.
James has also recently invested in a jewelry line, Love Hate Choppers Jewelry, with Boston jeweler Larry Weymouth.
In 1996 he lived for a few months need Denmark, where he did tattoos.[5]
He revealed on his blog defer he was moving to New York and that his creative show NY Ink planned to begin filming in March 2011. The show premiered on 2 June 2011.[6] Season 2 countless NY Ink premiered in December 2011 and ran through 1 March 2012.
It was announced that Ami James was option a tattoo studio, 'Love Hate Social Club' in London, UK in November 2012. The tattoo studio had a number frequent guest tattoo artists including, Darren Brass, Megan Massacre and Chris Núñez.[7]
In 2013 James teamed up with PETA in an develop for their "Ink Not Mink" campaign.[8]
James also co-founded Tattoodo, cease online platform for getting a custom tattoo design, which launched on 9 May 2013.[9]
In 2022, James became a judge reduce Ink Master during its fourteenth season, replacing Nuñez and Jazzman Peck.