Born on March 8th, 1982 in Nuevo Leon Mexico, to Argentinean parents René Drachenberg and Sylvia Galeano, Kat Von D moved to Colton, California at the age of four. Growing up, she was very close to her grandmother who greatly influenced her love for art. Her grandmother introduced her to playing the piano and listening to great composers such as Beethoven, Kat Von D's favorite. She grew up close to her parents and siblings in Inland Empire, where she was exposed to various cultures and influences. At the age of 14, she got her first tattoo, an English J on her ankle, a tribute to a previous love affair. It was then when she discovered her talent for art and in 1996, she picked up the machine and started honing her craft. Two years later, Kat Von D started working in a professional shop, Sin City Tattoo, and moved on to Blue Bird Tattoo in Pasadena a year later. Other shops she has worked in include Inflictions and True Tattoo, where she worked with Clay Decker, Chris Garver and Tim Hendricks. It was then when she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her husband to be, a talented artist named Oliver Peck.
Kat Von D appears on LA Ink wherein she features her shop, High Voltage Tattoo and her various clients who have willingly shared their tattoo stories. LA Ink is a spin off of Miami Ink, where Kat Von D has also previously appeared in.
Kat von D of Miami Ink and her own spin-off LA Ink, may be the busiest woman on TV as of late. Currently, von D is in LA shooting the third installment of her show, LA Ink, which currently tops TLC’s ratings. She is also developing a skin care line at cosmetic chain Sephora, which is said to include tattoo concealer, and is also working on another book – likely to be a best seller! High Voltage Tattoo is a compilation of her work, trailing her start as a tattoo artist from childhood to her recent work. The book also includes information about her show, her inspirations, her shop and her personal tattoos. Covering this much ground may be one of the wisest business moves for any reality star to date.
KAt von D without tattos
Katherine Drachenberg (born March 8, 1982), known professionally as Kat Von D and who has given her name as Katherine von Drachenberg in two German interviews is an American tattoo artist and television personality. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink, which premiered August 7, 2007 in the United States and November 11, 2007 in the UK.