Mav Mess was born in 1967 and began tattooing professionally in 1992 in San Jose, California. Mav’s list of mentors and colleagues through the years reads like a “who’s who” of illustrious giants in the tattoo field. He has tattooed alongside the likes of Lance Mclain, Eric Maaske, Dave Gibson, Mike Malone, Luke Atkinson, the Dutchman, and many others. In 1996, Mav moved to Portland and joined Terry Tweed at Deluxe Tattoo, taking the reins of the shop upon Terry’s retirement in 2008. In 2013, Mav moved Deluxe Tattoo to Vancouver, Washington, where he continues to operate to this day. In 2014, Mav joined the crew at Atlas to help out with the action on Sundays. Mav is a purist whose knowledge and dedication to the craft of tattooing is unsurpassed.
Mav tattoos at Atlas on Sundays, strictly on a same-day call-in basis. On other days he can be found at Deluxe Tattoo in Vancouver, Washington.
Instagram: @mavmess
