Victory of the Whale

The title refers to the tale of ‘The Essex’. 200 years ago, this 88-foot, 238-ton whaling vessel set sail from Nantucket, Massachusetts on a fateful voyage across the Pacific Ocean. During the attempted slaughter of a whale pod, the ship was rammed by an enormous sperm whale described by crew members as, “appearing with ten-fold fury and vengeance… distracted with rage”. Their battered ship succumbed to the ocean, leaving the Captain and his crew stranded far at sea, forced to embark on a treacherous return journey that would see the surviving men resort to cannibalism to ward off starvation. This harrowing tale of man vs nature captured the attention of the world, eventually inspiring Herman Melville to write his classic novel ‘Moby Dick’.

To honour the 200^th anniversary of this event; a whale defeating the whalers with the very harpoons that were intended to kill him, 71 artists from all over the world have each produced a work inspired by the ramming of the sperm whale. Representing the power and beauty of the ocean and its inhabitants. 

All contributing artists have donated the original artwork, as well as the copyrights, to Sea Shepherd. The original artwork will be displayed during the London Tattoo Convention 2021 Art Exhibition, and will be auctioned in order to raise funds and keep the Sea Shepherd fleet at sea doing their job: continuing to protect the world’s ocean and all marine wildlife.
A book with the artwork of all 71 contributing artists will be published beginning 2021.

We are proud of the tattoo community who have eagerly participated and lent their talents to support this cause, particularly through the turbulent times we’ve experienced in 2020 as a result of the global pandemic. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to every entrant for their contributions.

Amongst other contributing artists;

• Wenlong Cui – Anastacia Rice – Ben Dunning
• Christian Schettino – Kid Kros – Mil et Une
• Simone Millo – Sharuzen – Sofie Simpson

The London Tattoo Convention

In 2019, The London Tattoo Convention embarked on a journey to produce a more environmentally conscious event. Partnering with Sea Shepherd was the perfect fit. The marine conservationists not only matched our vision to reduce plastic waste but were already actively involved in tattooing and the arts.

Following a hugely successful show, we began to think of ways to further extend our collaboration. Utilising the unique talents of our pool of artists worldwide, ‘The Victory of the Whale’ project was conceived: a charity art book and exhibition which would raise awareness as well as financial means for Sea Shepherd to continue their essential work.

We would also like to dedicate a very special mention to Marcus Berriman, co-founder of The London Tattoo Convention, who sadly passed away in the summer of 2020. Marcus’s enthusiasm was unmatched. His vision to work towards greener event production sparked our wonderful relationship with Sea Shepherd. We owe him heartfelt thanks for his unending support and dedication.

Jasmine Rollason, London Tattoo Convention