The coolest tattoos we saw at Grand Canyon State Tattoo Convention 2025

Half the fun of a tattoo convention is seeing the nonstop parade of incredible body art. Just ask the attendees of 2025 Grand Canyon State Tattoo Convention from May 2 to 4, who came to admire the ink and maybe get some of their own.

The three-day event at the Phoenix Shrine Auditorium was populated by more than 160-plus artists from across the U.S. and throughout Arizona — including such local talents as Manuel Flowers of Tempe’s Next Level Studio and Lady Luck Tattoo’s Mario G. — each creating masterful works of body art.

Some came for cute tattoos (think Pokémon and Grogu from “The Mandalorian”). Others opted for traditional designs incorporating dragons and skulls. Several patrons dedicated all three days of the convention to getting massive, hyper-detailed pieces that covered large portions of their bodies with lifelike landscapes.

And every tattoo seen or created at the Grand Canyon State Tattoo Convention had a story behind it.
Case in point: Devon Mahon of Phoenix came to the event to get a tattoo of the Pokémon Gloom by childhood friend and artist Larry Kugler of Lakeside-based studio Dawn of Light Tattoo. "We used to play Pokémon together as kids, so it was a fun idea," Mahon says.

The convention’s best tattoos — both new creations and existing works — were showcased during daily contests and awards were handed out in multiple categories. Winners took home neon-lit trophies shaped like saguaro cactuses, while the top tattoo each day earned a golden cow skull. There was even a “Star Wars”-themed category in honor of May the Fourth.

Convention co-founder Drew Rheinhardt told Phoenix New Times this year’s event was a success and is set to return in May 2026. “Tattooing is an art that will never die,” he says.

Here’s a look at the coolest ink we encountered at the 2025 Grand Canyon State Tattoo Convention.