Paul Sayce

Since walking into Rob Robinson's tattoo surgery in New Malden, Surrey, England in the mid 70's Paul Sayce has never looked back. Where with just a simple tattoo of a swallow, a light blue flower and two scrolls with the words mum and dad in one and his own name in the other on his lower right forearm, started a craze that for Paul soon turned into an obsession. An obsession, which has over the years seen him visit tattoo studios the world over, and meet some of the biggest names in tattoo history.

From an early age Paul has had tattooing and tattoos in his blood, for when his school
Friends were collecting football cards and programmes, Paul was collecting anything and everything about tattooing he could get his hands on. Although in the 1970's there wasn't that much to collect, and not a lot in the media about the art that he loved - back in those days.

Always one for doing the best he could in promoting tattooing in a favourable light Paul became staff writer for 'Tattoo International' magazine in 1985, and later the vice-president of the 'Tattoo club of Great Britain' and curator of the 'British Tattoo History Museum' in Oxford, England in 1995.

And over the years he has written over 100 articles on the art of tattooing in magazines worldwide. Including 'Easyrider Tattoo' and 'Tattoo Savage' of the USA. 'Flesh Canvas' UK 'Australian Tattoo' and 'Tattoo Planet' Italy. As well as in house reporter for 'Tatchat' Australia, 'The Heavily Tattoo club' New Zealand and Britain's 'Piercing World' club magazines.

Television appearances include 'The Frank Skinner Show'. 'Central TV Live' (twice)
'Collectors Lot' 'The BBC 6 o'clock news' 'German RTL TV'. BBC Northern Ireland news'. 'The Big Breakfast'. ' A Current Affair' Australia, and two appearances on American TV.

Paul has also taken part in a number of Radio broadcasts including four guest spots on 'Talk Radio' and shows in Poland, Holland, Spain and even on the armed force's radio service. Numerous BBC and overseas programmes, where in New Zealand - on Wellington's Pirate Radio, he did a sort of Desert Island Disc show.

To date Paul has been included in eight books including the biographies of Frank Skinner and Ron Ackers as well as writing the foreword for 'The Art Of Tattoo'.
He has been a guest judge at shows in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Samoa, the Philippines, Northern Ireland and the USA. Very nearly all of Britain's Dunstable tattoo expo's and many other tattooing shows and conventions throughout Great Britain and Europe. And was named 'Mr Tattoo' in 1992.

Other highlights include becoming the first westerner to be tattooed in the year 2000. Visiting Japan's Tokyo University to view the tattooed skin collection and attending many of the world's top museums in his quest to gain more of an insight into the art of tattooing.

Another plus for Paul was having (on two different occasions) his portrait photograph taken by the top celebrity photographer 'Ranking' and appearing with supermodel Toa Fock in the book 'Rankinworks' in 2000.

During the last four years Paul has featured on Radio and in many newspapers articles as well as having scores of his photographs of tattoos published in magazines worldwide. He has also been back in front of the TV cameras appearing in television commercials - playing a biker in a 'Resolve' headache tablet ad - an Australian cricketer in ads for 'Nat West Bank' - a football supporter in the 'Sony' commercial to celebrate the electrical company's fiftieth year, and the dad in the 'Saturday Times' TV adverts.

Future plans are to continue in much the same way as before - and to visit the tattooing conventions of New York, Amsterdam, Belgium and London in 2005.

On a more personal note - Paul was born in 1960 and was 45 years old on April 22nd 2005.

He has been married and divorced twice - has three children and lives in Tooting South-West London, England.

Paul_Sayce@btopenworld.com

British Tattoo History Museum, 389 Cowley Road,Oxford,OX4 2BS

Telephone: +44 (0)1865 715253 Facsimile: +44 (0)1865 775610