Ami James facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ami James
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| Born |
Amie James
8 April 1972 |
| Nationality | Israeli, American |
| Occupation | Tattoo artist Television personality |
| Children | 2 |
Ami James (born April 6, 1972) is a famous Israeli-American tattoo artist. He is also known for being a TV star and a businessman.
Ami James' Early Life
Ami James was born in Sharm El Sheikh, a city in Egypt. At that time, Israel was in control of the area. His father, who was American, became Jewish before moving to Israel. There, his father joined the Israeli army and met Ami's mother, who had moved from Romania.
Ami lived in both Israel and Egypt when he was a child. When he was four years old, his father left the family. Ami found school challenging, but he was always drawn to art and tattooing. He shared that his father had tattoos and was a painter, which likely inspired him.
Around age 11, Ami moved to the United States to live with his grandparents. A year later, he moved to Miami. When he was 15, Ami got his first tattoo. This experience made him want to become a tattoo artist himself. Later, during his teenage years, Ami moved back to Israel. He joined the Israel Defense Forces and served as an Infantry sniper.
Ami James' Career
In 1992, Ami began learning the art of tattooing with Lou at a shop called Tattoos By Lou. He later became the co-owner of a tattoo shop in Miami Beach, Florida, called Love Hate Tattoos. He owns it with his friend Chris Núñez. This shop became famous as the main setting for the TLC reality television show, Miami Ink.
Ami also co-owns the DeVille clothing company with Chris Núñez and Jesse Fleet. He also helped start the Love Hate Lounge, a nightclub in Miami, with Núñez and two other friends. Ami has even designed cool looks for Motorola's RAZR V3 mobile phones.
In 1996, Ami lived in Denmark for a few months, where he continued to do tattoos. He also invested in a jewelry line called Love Hate Choppers Jewelry with a jeweler from Boston named Larry Weymouth.
TV Shows and New Studios
Ami shared on his blog that he was moving to New York. His new TV show, NY Ink, started filming in March 2011 and premiered on June 2, 2011. The second season of NY Ink began in December 2011 and ran until March 1, 2012.
In November 2012, it was announced that Ami James was opening another tattoo studio. This one was called 'Love Hate Social Club' and was located in London, UK. Many famous guest tattoo artists worked there, including Darren Brass, Megan Massacre, and Chris Núñez.
Other Projects
In 2013, Ami James worked with PETA, an animal rights organization. He appeared in an advertisement for their "Ink Not Mink" campaign, which encourages people to get tattoos instead of wearing fur.
Ami also helped create Tattoodo, an online platform that helps people get custom tattoo designs. It launched on May 9, 2013.
In 2022, Ami James became a judge on the popular tattoo competition show Ink Master. He joined the show for its fourteenth season, taking over from previous judges Nuñez and Oliver Peck.
