Shawn Cox

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I actually got a back piece based on a design the tattoo artist had been wanting to do — it’s a skull combined with a mandala. I didn’t go in with a super specific idea; I just really liked their style and let the artwork speak for itself. So in a way, the piece was inspired by the artist, and I connected with the design enough to make it mine.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could talk, it’d probably say something like, ‘I’ve seen the abyss and made it beautiful.’ The skull and mandala on my back would whisper about transformation, death meeting design, chaos balanced by symmetry. The shark on my arm? That one growls, ‘Keep moving or drown,’ always pushing forward. And Poseidon, trident in hand and boat beneath him? He’s the storm and the guide, a reminder that power isn’t just force, it’s control. Toge

What would you do with the $25,000?

With $25,000, I’d turn my whole body into a walking gallery. I’d seek out world class artists from different countries and give each one a canvas, full sleeves, chest, legs, maybe even my throat. I’d blend styles: realism, neo traditional, maybe some biomech or Japanese influence. Each piece would tell a part of my story but also honor the artist’s vision. It wouldn’t just be about getting inked, it’d be about creating a living masterpiece across continents. T