Eli Ferguson
Japanese Style Tattoo Artist
A dedicated tattooer and painter committed to making authentic, classic Japanese style tattoos. Raised on the Sunshine Coast, tattooing has taken Eli around Australia and Japan to learn from the best and hone his craft.
15 years ago Eli commenced his tattoo apprenticeship in Brisbane under Australian Japanese tattoo heavyweight Brendan O’Connor. Working beneath Brendan, one of Australia’s greats, laid the foundations for Eli’s culturally respectful approach to making Japanese tattoos.
Early career in Japan
In 2016, Eli relocated to Tokyo, Japan to study under Japanese Irezumi Master Ichi Hatano of Ichi Tattoo.
Studying in a Japanese tattoo studio with access to original reference materials in both books and everyday life, allowed Eli to dive deeper into studying Japanese subject matter, their culture and the history of traditional Japanese tattooing.
He gained invaluable learnings of a culture that is as complex as it is beautiful, not only in tattooing but also in regards to the Japanese way of life. This dedication earned Eli the Traditional Japanese Tattooist name of 彫偉雷 ‘Hori IIRAI’ - a title given to him by Ichi Hatano.
The Tiny House of Classic Japanese Tattooing
Moving back to Australia, Eli joined the ranks at Melbourne Tattoo Company, a diverse and rich hub of talent in the heart of Melbourne CBD.
This was his last stop before returning home to the Sunshine Coast to put down some roots.
Eli spent two years working in a bustling street shop in Mooloolaba, catering to all styles of tattooing - but his passion was always classic Japanese style tattoos.
So in 2021, Eli built his own private tattoo studio, to focus solely on Japanese traditional tattoos. Wabori House Tattoo is in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and bookings are by appointment only. Eli’s aim is to cultivate a community on the Sunshine Coast who can appreciate and wear large scale classic Japanese tattoos or ‘horimono’.