Issue 048

April 2009

Reformed bad boy Chris Leben has always loved his tattoos, and his move from Oregon to Hawaii meant that a wealth of opportunity was opened to him in terms of body art. 

The famously tattoo-mad islands are home to some of the United States’ best tattooists, and Leben spent little time in tracking down an artist in his new home of Honolulu. Since moving there from Portland, Leben has added to his collection of tattoos by getting work done on both his arms. 

A fan of Japanese-style tattoos, Leben has an impressive phoenix that curls down from his chest and shoulder, with the tail feathers finishing on his forearm. His right arm, at present still in the outline stage, will feature a Buddha in the Japanese style, with wind and flowers following the contours of his body, ending in a lotus flower on the back of his hand. 

One of Leben’s most striking tattoos is the large Japanese warrior on his back, with the kanji for ‘bushido’, the Japanese warrior’s code of honour, upon his left shoulder blade. “I guess I like Japanese tattoos because they never go out of fashion,” he said.