Some of the people were coming and saying, ‘My man Van did this.’” Henry said, “He was the only one tattooing in that area. He would come into the barbershop where clients could get tattoos. Everybody used to go at that point Van was tattooing for a month.”įinding refuge in tattooing, Johnson had found a legitimate way to provide for his family. Van and I came up on the same side and would meet up at the same barber shop on 86th and Hermitage. It was either go back to robbing, selling drugs or do something different. In 2008, I had just been laid off from my last job as a train conductor from Union Pacific. One of the few Black tattoo artists making house calls, Johnson set up a temporary booth at the barbershop, working non-stop on neighborhood clients while Henry observed in fascination.

The longest running reality show based in Chicago, the show debuted its third season in early July.īoth Henry and Johnson have been long-time friends sharing a bond that began when the two connected through the art of tattooing at a favorite barbershop hangout. Henry is the owner of 9Mag, a popular tattoo boutique in the Pilsen neighborhood, and shares the spotlight with his co-workers casted in VH1’s hit reality series “Black Ink Chicago.”

The streets of Chicago are no joke when you are in “survival mode.” No one knows this better than South Side natives Ryan Henry and Van Johnson. “Black Ink Chicago” stars, Ryan Henry and Van Johnson.

Van 9mag