Kamy Cao - Japanese tattoo artist, Horiryu II Tattoo Vancouver

Born and raised in Vancouver, Kamy is a dedicated tattoo artist with five years of experience, known for her commitment to growth and evolving craftsmanship. Her journey into tattooing began at 18 after leaving high school, with no formal artistic background.

What started as simply getting tattooed turned into something more when her mentor recognized her potential and encouraged her to pursue tattooing as a skill and career. She went on to complete a two-year apprenticeship, building a strong foundation in the craft. While she values that experience, Kamy considers herself largely self-taught, having developed her style and technical approach through independent study, experimentation, and persistence.

Kamy's work spans a wide range — from traditional and new-school Japanese tattoos to Asian-inspired and anime or manga-influenced pieces. She's just as comfortable designing large-scale sleeves and backpieces rooted in Japanese and Asian tradition as she is bringing characters from Naruto, Pokémon, or Studio Ghibli to life. She enjoys the variety and treats every project with the same level of intention, whether it's a bold full sleeve or a smaller standalone piece.

She approaches tattooing with the mindset that it is a lifelong learning process — continually evolving, studying, and striving to create work that is both meaningful and impactful for every client.

  • Tattooing since 2021 — largely self-taught after a two-year apprenticeship
  • Traditional Japanese, new-school Japanese, Asian-inspired, anime & manga work
  • Open to all sizes — full sleeves, backpieces, and smaller standalone pieces
  • Also loves anime commissions — Naruto, Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Studio Ghibli & more
  • Bold linework with dynamic composition — black & grey and colour

Get to Know Me

When not tattooing or creating art, Kamy spends her time hiking or swimming — and funnily enough, she's terrified of seeing blood, which makes her career choice a little ironic. Outside of tattooing, she enjoys working with different art mediums — painting on canvas, customizing shoes — she loves trying it all. In the summer, she spends a lot of time riding motorcycles. It gives her a similar feeling to tattooing — just a sense of freedom.

Work by Kamy Cao

No backpieces pieces yet.