The tattoo competition show “Ink Master” is back for season 17, featuring one of Montreal’s very own. Among the group of 15 artists from around the world is Luka Lajoie, who hopes to solidify Montreal’s place as an elite in the tattoo world. “This year’s [show] theme is hometown heroes. So it’s pretty cool to represent Montreal,” Lajoie says. His love of tattoos started when he was 12. That’s when he watched his older brother get a tattoo. “Seeing all the tattooed guys with art on the walls and portfolios and everything just, gave me the little thing I needed to just have this idea in my head forever. And, yeah, the second I was 18 I bought a tattoo kit on eBay,” he says. Lajoie began practising with family friends. He focused on portraits of characters from movies and celebrities. With solo tattoos of the LA Lakers and full sleeves of spiderman under his belt, Lajoie has built a reputation as an expert in tattoos and colour realism. “I could never see myself doing a reality show or something like that [before]. But I got the email from ‘Ink Master,’” he tells CTV News. The show challenges artists as they compete for a $250,000 prize. One challenge Lajoie faced involved going back to basics. Competitors were asked to sketch on a whiteboard. “We had to represent something that represents us and our city. So then I was, like, what should I do about Montreal and all kinds of different ideas in my head? And then I was like, okay, Montreal is a city of squirrels.” Lajoie says he went on to draw a squirrel dropping his nuts as a representation of fading French culture. “There’s more English-speaking. And not in the bad way, but mostly in the way, like, there’s a rivalry and it’s been going on,” he explains. As for the competition result, Lajoie says viewers will have to watch and see.
