Enthusiasts flocked to the 10th International Tattoo Convention in Bucharest.

More than 100 tattoo artists from around the world gathered for the three-day event last week in the Romanian capital.

Visitors to the Bragadiru Palace had the opportunity to get inked by artists such as Bob Tyrrell and Gabriel Ripley from the US and China’s Zhu Shi, or to see at close quarters people famous for covering their bodies in tattoos like Venezuela’s Emilio Gonzales, Canada’s Doug Smode and Germany’s Guinness World Record holder Rolf Buchholz, known for his 453 metal piercings.

International Tattoo Convention
Artists competed in several categories such as Best Black and Grey and Best Colour (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
Tattoos were virtually unknown until fairly recently in Romania, which was ruled by a repressive communist regime from 1947-1989 (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
The event was held in the Bragadiru Palace, an example of the architecture which led to Bucharest being labelled at the turn of the 20th century as the “Paris of the East” (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
A typical Romanian tattoo artist charges from 250 lei (£45) per hour (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
More elaborate designs can cost as much as £900 (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
Visitors showed off their own designs (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
A man waits for ink to dry on a fresh tattoo on his back (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
The best in show trophy (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
International Tattoo Convention
Fans travel from across the world to be inked by masters of the craft (Vadim Ghirda/AP)