The designs of Horiyoshi III, Japan’s undisputed tattoo master, come to life with every twitch and shudder of the skin.

Born Yoshihito Nakano in 1946, Horiyoshi III had his epiphany when confronted with a Yakuza (Japanese gangster) sporting a full body tattoo or “suit” at a public bathhouse as a young boy. Inspired, he visited the studio of his later master, Horiyoshi I, for his own tattoo, and became his apprentice at the age of 25.

Read more, view the video, and see the collection at Horiyoshi III: Tatoos, Skateboarders, and Who’s Jamie?