Ink Master Season 17 has showcased some of the world’s most talented tattoo artists, and among them is the exceptionally skilled Luka Lajoie, hailing from Montreal.
Known for his hyper-realistic black and grey work, Lajoie stepped onto the competitive floor after years of being hesitant about the reality TV aspect of the show, a perspective that shifted after seeing his idol, James Tex, win the previous season.
In this candid interview with The TV Watercooler, Luka opens up about what finally convinced him to take the leap, the early inspiration that set him on his path, his close-knit Canadian alliance with fellow contestant Kyra Torres, and how his experience on the show—particularly the tough critiques and the influence of competitors like Matt—fundamentally shifted his artistic focus toward new, illustrative styles.
How familiar were you with Ink Master before this experience? How much did you know about it? And how did that perspective of the series shift once you were standing on the competition floor?
I actually knew about Ink Master and saw the firt season, I think maybe 12 or 15 years ago! Something like that… I saw it and thought it was very exciting and everything, but I felt that it focused on a lot of the “drama” and “reality TV” stuff. So, I was not to much into it.
I received the email invitation from Ink Master a few years ago or maybe seven years, back-to-back, but for me, [I thought] it was just too much drama [on the show]. I’m a bit more on the anxious side.
Last year, I saw my idol, James Tex do Season 16 and he won! That kind of shifted everything [for me] because I didn’t expect a guy like him to do something like that. It kind of opened the door and made me more interested in seeing what the show was all about. In think the show shifted within the past few years to focus more on the tattooing side, the techniques, and learning about tattooing.
So then when I got the email again, I was like, “Okay, okay, that works, that works! I’ll try it.” There’s good intention behind the show, but it’s still TV and it’s not real-life tattooing, but it’s very exciting! It’s a really good place to make yourself seen by a lot of people. You learn a lot, talking in front of cameras. You can learn a lot about yourself!
Taking the leap onto Ink Master is a major professional move. What was the defining factor or ultimate goal that convinced you this was the right time to put your artistry to the test on a global stage?
Absolutely! Especially after doing the show, it’s opened my mind to new things and maybe to take some chances. You’ve got to take some chances and break the barrier that you put yourself in.
In one of the episodes, you mentioned that you were first inspired to become a tattoo artist when you were young and saw your older brother get a tattoo — can you speak more about this experience and the journey that led you to where you are today?
Yeah, that was a big thing. I was an artsy kind who wasn’t too much into sports. I was 11 or 12 and went to see my big brother get a tattoo. I was there with my father because my brother needed his signature to get a tattoo.
When we were there, I got to see all the artwork and saw the tattoo artist covered with tattoos. They were drawing for a living and to me that was exceptional! It made me realize that [an artistic career] was possible.
Throughout high school, I kept drawing and this idea just stayed in my head.
Days before I turned 18, I bought a tattoo kit off eBay and decided to try it on my friends. I didn’t think I was necessarily starting a career or something like that, but it was something to do to have fun when hanging out with my friends. This kid knew how to draw, but could he tattoo?
That was 18 years ago, and I was stoked about it. Then I started doing some crazy stuff on my friends, my brothers, and my family. They were all very supportive and then it became something [tangible] pretty fast.
They were very trusting!
Oh, hell yeah, absolutely! I think that in the background, they knew I was into art, so that made sense for them. They were like, “Oh, okay, Luka is good at drawing. He’s going to do something cool.”
At first, it was my close friends and family, and then it was their friends. At some point, a month in, you’re meeting some people you never met before. The snowball got bigger pretty fast! I think that a year and a half after buying my first tattoo kit, I was tattooing full-time. It’s been my only job!
With another artist, Kyra Torres, hailing from Canada (Vancouver), did that shared national identity create an immediate sense of camaraderie or alliance in the competition, or were you focused purely on your individual game?
For sure, it was created right away. There’s something between Canadians. We’re like, “Okay, we’re the cool people. Let’s get along.” Kyra is so sweet and nice.
I think we were both, maybe not reserved is not the proper word, but composed. We were the calmer people in the group. So yeah, we got along right away and it gets reinforced when you see how good she is!
She also thought good things about my work. We got closer and we’re super good friends. It’s a friendship that is going to stay. We’re planning to eventually maybe do a collab together.
Yeah, the Canadians stay close to each other!
In such a high-calibre group, who among your fellow competitors truly pushed the boundaries of your own creative process, and what specific element of their work left a lasting impression on you?
Matt! No hesitation. Matt – he’s something! He’s a character, for sure. And a really good friend.
I just think he’s different in his approach to art. He’s very stubborn but open-minded. He thinks what he thinks, but he includes so many different techniques and ideas. He works super fast!
Part of the reason why I went on Ink Master was to find a way to make my work different. I’ve been stuck in the realism bubble for a lot years and I’m trying to incorporate more illustrative stuff – adding more of my drawing skills into the mix. When you do a lot of portraits, it get repetitive – and I’ve been doing that lot.
So, to meet this guy that is fully illustrative, focused on Japanese [art], but then in the tattoo competition, he’s capable of trying new stuff and taking chances – I learned a lot from that. The discussions we had have also stayed in my mind.
Once I got home, I even kind of had Matt’s annoying voice in my head, “Try stuff! Take some chances!” So he definitely stayed in my brain, for sure.
That’s amazing! Was there a particular flash challenge or elimination tattoo that, regardless of the outcome, became a substantial moment for your own artistic growth?
You’ll see in the sixth episode… Without saying too much, it’s super important in the artistic process that you don’t get too stuck into your own ideas because expectation kills the artistic process.
I’ve had to deal with that pretty much my whole career. And when you’re in the flash challenge and you’re at some point where it’s not going where you want, you still have to finish it!
Sometimes you have to learn to let go, and maybe there are some new ideas or angles that you never thought of. So yeah, you’ll see this challenge! It’s going to be interesting.
For an aspiring contestant considering being in the next season of Ink Master, what’s the single most critical piece of advice you would offer them to mentally and professionally prepare for the intensity of the show?
So right now, any artist that asks me questions about the show, I tell them that it’s so special.
In the tattoo industry, you can tattoo clients, collaborate with some other artists, do conventions, do marketing and social media – that’s about it. If you want to do something very, very special, you do Ink Master – and it holds a mirror to your soul.
On the artistic side and on the personal side, you’re going to grow from it! You’re going to learn how you react under pressure.
Having successfully navigated the reality TV landscape with Ink Master, is there another competitive series, perhaps outside of the tattooing world, that intrigues you?
So, I’ve been asked a lot if I would do [Ink Master] again. I was like “100% no, never again!” because I was so stressed and anxious.
It was super hard for me to deal with that whole thing, but now, a few months later, with a step back, the brain readjusts, and it’s easier to look at the big picture. For some reason now, 100% yes! I would do it again! All that stress and anxiety became all fun and good learning. I have pleasant memories, so yeah, I would do it again!
As for another show, I think it would need to be something very artistic. Let’s say Quebec starts its own Ink Master or something like that, it would be nice to be a part of it!
And sometimes on Ink Master, they have returning artists. I think the second time would be such a different experience because you already know what you’re getting into, and you’ve dealt with the time limits of the competitions. I would approach my artistic decision very differently.
For those looking to get tattooed by you or simply view your work, what is the best way and location to find your studio in Montreal?
It’s @lukalajoie on Instagram. That’s the best place for all the information! You can also go to my website, lukalajoie.com.
New episodes of Ink Master stream each Wednesday on Paramount+.
