One of the first things you’ll notice about Kane Gilland is his warm smile and welcoming demeanor, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering his history working with non-profits and activist groups in Chicago.  But when the pandemic started and forced him out of work Kane started thinking seriously about what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. It was during this period of self-reflection that his childhood friend Cat Wong encouraged him to move back to his hometown of Kansas City and pursue a career in tattooing.

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This leap from social work to tattoo work in August 2020 was not a blind one, as Kane had developed a passion for drawing at a young age from his dad who at the time had been in school for Graphic Design. Kane followed suit and received a BFA in Illustration from Columbia College Chicago in 2018, where he developed a style of illustrative realism inspired by anatomical, scientific, and botanical illustrations. 

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Kane’s devotion to community, friends, and the natural world has landed him his dream job at Tintoretta Tattoo. He is keen on the perpetual cultivation of his technique and will not be slowing down anytime soon.