Tank Garage Winery x Shawn Barber

Shawn f***ing Barber, ladies and gentlemen. If you don't know the name, it's time to recognize.

Shawn is one of the country's hottest tattoo artists. He owns and operates Memoir Tattoo in Los Angeles. His ink is spectacular and his oil painting...it's taking the world by storm.

Raised in upstate New York, Shawn has an interesting history with tattoos. When he was 14, he made a deal with his local parlor. He'd illustrate some artwork for them, and in exchange, they'd give him his first tattoo. It's of Spider-Man. It looks OK.

After graduating high school, Shawn bounced around. First to Alaska, where he worked the graveyard shift in a factory and become irreversibly nocturnal. Then, eventually, to Florida to attend fine arts college.

It wasn't until his mid-30s that Shawn considered becoming a tattoo artist himself. He needed a way to fund his passion for oil painting and obviously had the chops, so he asked a close friend for an apprenticeship. Not long after, both of his careers exploded.

Shawn's figurative style blends photorealism with abstraction. His paintings depicting nude, tattooed figures are hauntingly expressive. Many of which can be found in the world's most respected private collections.

Three years ago, we approached Shawn and asked if would create a label for a new limited edition wine called Ink. He agreed.

Our collaboration process is simple. We describe to Shawn the wine and story we want to tell. Then, a few weeks later, he sends us something fearless and breathtaking.