For more than twenty years, Piew has devoted himself entirely to Traditional tattooing, combining a deep respect for its history with a constant drive to expand its visual language. As the founder of Tatouage Electric Avenue in Montreal, he has built a space where tradition is both preserved and pushed forward. In this interview, he talks about his artistic journey, his passion for American Traditional tattooing, and his desire to leave a meaningful legacy through his work.
Hi Piew, welcome to Tattoo Life! How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers as a tattoo artist?
I’ve spent more than two decades fully dedicated to Traditional tattooing, constantly trying to understand it on a deeper level by studying its history, learning about the people who shaped it, and nurturing the passion I have for this craft. For me, knowing where tattooing comes from is just as important as knowing where it can go. At the same time, I believe every generation has a responsibility to contribute something of its own. In my era, my goal is to bring my own vision to Traditional tattooing, push my work forward, and hopefully leave behind a meaningful legacy.
Where are you currently working, and how long have you been tattooing there?
I’m the owner and founder of Tatouage Electric Avenue in Montreal, a shop that has been dedicated to Traditional tattooing for the past 12 years. From the beginning, my goal has been to build a place where Traditional tattooing is respected, celebrated, and constantly pushed forward. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming guest artists from all over the world while building a reputation based on quality, consistency, and a deep respect for the craft.
Traditional is your signature style. How would you define its distinctive characteristics?
Understanding where Traditional tattooing comes from is essential if you want to contribute to where it’s going. Learning its history and respecting all those who dedicated their lives to it are among the most important values I cherish and live by. At the same time, it’s important for me to evolve creatively and develop my own visual language, one that will speak for my own legacy.
Your Traditional work draws on a wide range of influences, from Japanese imagery to traditional art and even Masonic motifs. What are your favourite subjects, and how do you reinterpret them through your own style?
I honestly love just about every subject. I’ve spent years working with classic tattoo imagery, and I still enjoy it as much as ever, but these days I find myself wanting to bring a little more weirdness and personality into it to make those familiar subjects feel more like my own. I also feel incredibly fortunate that my clients trust me and give me the freedom to explore these ideas, whether they’re choosing from my flash or coming to me with a concept.
That creative freedom allows me to interpret the designs in my own way, and that’s often where the most interesting work happens.
It seems to me that your colour palette is very distinctive and carefully defined. Is that a conscious choice?
Absolutely. My colour palette is a very conscious choice. Over the years, I’ve narrowed it down to a selection of colours and pigments that I truly love and trust. I still use colours outside my regular palette from time to time, but it always depends on the design. Every pigment I use has been carefully handpicked, and once I find something that works, I tend to stick with it for a long time.
Which direction is your artistic journey taking at the moment? Are you moving more toward American Traditional or Japanese-inspired tattooing?
At this point in my career, my heart is definitely with American Traditional tattooing. It’s the style that shaped my life, shaped me as an artist, and I honestly see myself focusing on it for the rest of my life. I’m still deeply attracted to Japanese tattooing, though.
Certain subjects, compositions, and its overall aesthetic continue to inspire me. That said, I don’t necessarily want to approach Japanese tattooing in the most traditional sense.
I’m interested in interpreting those influences through my own lens, with a more Western, American Traditional sensibility.
So while American Traditional remains my main path, I enjoy exploring Japanese-inspired ideas and making them feel true to my own artistic identity. More than anything, my goal today is to create work with a strong, recognisable identity, bringing to life compositions and imagery that feel bold, unexpected, and truly one of a kind.
Looking back on your journey as a tattoo artist, what have been the most important milestones in your development, and where do you feel your work has brought you today?
Looking back, one of the biggest milestones in my journey was creating a space that truly reflects my vision and everything I dreamed of as a tattooer—my shop. Building that environment and working alongside a strong team that inspires me every day has been a complete game changer.
Another major part of my growth has been travelling. Seeing different places, meeting people, and experiencing tattooing through other people’s vision has given me new perspectives and a much deeper understanding of the craft. All of those experiences have shaped who I am today and continue to push me to evolve, both as an artist and as a person.
You are the founder of @tatouageelectricave. Could you tell us a bit more about the studio and what it represents?
I’m the sole owner of Tatouage Electric Avenue, but the shop is what it is because of the incredible team I get to work with every day. From day one, the vision was to bring the best of Traditional tattooing to Montreal and create a place that genuinely reflects our love for the craft. At the same time, I’ve always believed that tattooing is constantly evolving.
Tradition has strong roots, but it can still grow and take new directions, just as we do as artists.
In many ways, my relationship with tattooing has been a lifelong love story. The journey keeps changing you, and I think it’s important to keep moving forward, stay curious, and continue evolving both as an artist and as a person.
Is there anything you’d like to say to our readers before we close this interview? And is there a wish or goal for your work that you’d like to share with us?
First of all, thank you to everyone who follows and supports my work. Tattooing has given me more than I could have ever imagined, and I never take that for granted. As for the future, I simply hope to keep doing what I love for many years to come. I hope I can continue to stay busy, keep creating, and maybe inspire the next generation of tattooers along the way. I know none of it comes without hard work, but that’s exactly what I enjoy. My goal is to keep reinventing myself and keep bringing something new to the table, always pushing forward rather than repeating the same thing over and over again.
