About Wang Lei关于王雷

The Artist Behind Lei Shi Tattoo

Wang Lei (王雷) is a Chinese tattoo artist with over two decades of experience. He began his artistic training in sculpture and bronze casting (雕塑与铸造) in 2002, before entering the tattoo profession the following year. This foundation in three-dimensional form, anatomy, and metalwork informs the depth and structural precision of his photorealism tattoo work today.

In 2007, Wang Lei founded "Wang Lei Tattoo" (王雷刺青) in Beijing — the predecessor to Lei Shi Tattoo. The brand has since grown into Lei Shi Tattoo (雷势文化): a network of 18 studios across China and Southeast Asia, with over 100 tattoo artists covering every major style from European and American photorealism to traditional Chinese ink work. Lei Shi is not merely a chain of tattoo shops; it is a cultural movement that has redefined how tattoo is perceived, practiced, and exhibited in China.

王雷（Wang Lei），中国纹身师，从业逾二十年。2002年起接受雕塑与铸造艺术训练，次年正式进入纹身行业——造型艺术与金属铸造的功底，为他后来的写实纹身创作奠定了对形体、光影与空间结构的精准理解。

2007年，王雷于北京创立"王雷刺青"工作室，是今日雷势文化的前身。其后品牌发展为雷势文化（Lei Shi Tattoo）——在中国与东南亚地区拥有18家直营门店，旗下汇聚百余位纹身艺术家，涵盖欧美写实、黑灰写实、3D立体、中国传统风格等全风格品类。雷势并非一家普通的连锁纹身店，而是一个持续十余年推动中国纹身文化发展的艺术品牌。

Sculptor's Foundation 雕塑与铸造背景

Wang Lei's artistic journey began not with needle and ink, but with clay, bronze, and stone. From 2002, he formally trained in sculpture and bronze casting — working with volume, negative space, anatomy, the interplay of light across three-dimensional form, and the precise craftsmanship of metalwork. Where many tattoo artists start from two-dimensional reference images, Wang Lei approaches each piece as a sculptural composition mapped onto the human body's natural contours.

Alongside his tattoo practice, he continues to work across fine art disciplines, curating and producing independent art exhibitions that bridge tattoo art with contemporary visual culture.

International Recognition 国际评审

Wang Lei has served as an international tattoo convention judge in the United States, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Canada, and at multiple Worldwide Tattoo exhibitions — evaluating the work of competitors from dozens of countries as a representative of the Chinese tattoo community. He holds vice-president roles at both the China Tattoo Art Association (中国文身艺术联合会) and the China-US Tattoo Association (中美文身协会).

His judging experience spans thousands of works from artists around the world, informing his perspective on what distinguishes a good tattoo from an extraordinary one: flawless technique, meaningful composition, skin-appropriate design adaptation, and the ability to capture the essence of the subject.

Lei Shi Culture & Independent Art Exhibitions 雷势文化与独立艺术展

Lei Shi is the only Chinese tattoo brand that has continuously produced independent tattoo art exhibitions for over a decade. These exhibitions have positioned Chinese tattoo culture on the international art stage:

• 2018 — 苍白之血 Pale Blood: China's first independent tattoo-artist-led art exhibition. Tattoo artists from over 30 countries traveled to China to attend, marking a watershed moment for Chinese tattoo culture's international standing.
• 2018–2019 — 斯芬克斯 Sphinx & 黄衣之王 The King in Yellow: Follow-up exhibitions that continued to expand the vocabulary of independent tattoo art.
• 2019 — Burning Man 火人节 (Nevada, USA): Ship of the Desert (沙漠之舟) — an independent art installation presenting Chinese tattoo culture on the international art festival stage.
• Singapore Exhibition: A large-scale art exhibition incorporating Chinese cultural elements, presented to the Southeast Asian audience.
• 2019 — 14th China International Tattoo Art Festival (Langfang, co-organized): Asia's largest tattoo art festival — 30,000 sqm, 400+ exhibitors from multiple countries.
• Ongoing to 2025: Lei Shi continues to produce independent tattoo art exhibitions — the only Chinese tattoo brand sustaining this level of cultural programming.

Promoting Tattoo Culture in China 推广中国纹身文化

Each Lei Shi studio in each of its 18 cities is more than a workplace — it serves as a regional hub for tattoo culture dialogue. Lei Shi hosts ongoing artist exchange meetings, local tattoo community events, and educational programming that shapes how young people in these cities understand tattoo art and its values. This decades-long commitment to cultural promotion — not just commerce — is what distinguishes Lei Shi from every other tattoo brand in China.

Sister Brand: Citong Culture 刺痛文化

In addition to Lei Shi Tattoo, Wang Lei has founded Citong Culture (刺痛文化), a parallel brand dedicated to professional body piercing as its core discipline. Citong now operates 10+ studios and extends Wang Lei's artistic vision into the adjacent disciplines of body modification and piercing artistry.