Jay Foss Cole wants the world to see that not only gangsters have tattoos, but also people such as doctors and judges.

“There’s a long tradition in this part of the world. It’s an ancient art form but also an endlessly changing, developing one. I’ve always been interested in tattoos, and wanted to do something that casts them in a more positive light,” says Cole, better known around Hong Kong as Jay FC.

Two years ago that desire led him to launch the International Hong Kong China Tattoo Convention in partnership with tattoo artist Gabe Shum of Freedom Tattoo. The convention’s third edition takes place from October 2 to 4.

Nearly 120 tattoo artists from around the world, sourced by Shum, will assemble at the 22,000 square foot InnoCentre  in Kowloon Tong, where there will be food and drink stalls and a stage, sponsored by skatewear brand Vans, that features a line-up of live bands and DJs.

Hong Kong, China and Japan are well represented among the artists, but others come from as far afield as Venezuela, South Africa, Poland, the Netherlands and Canada. Since most of us are unlikely to be visiting all those countries any time soon, the convention offers a rare opportunity for anyone thinking of getting a tattoo to pick from a global smorgasbord of talent.  Some of the bigger artists bring their most successful subjects along to display their work as a sort of living canvas.

“Anyone who’s been accepted to attend is of a level where they’re among the best, both conceptually and in their craft,” says Cole, who gets a new tattoo himself at the event each year. “The top-tier artists are basically celebrities. With Shige [the professional name of star Japanese artist Shigenori Iwasaki], even before he confirmed he’d be back this year, he was already fully booked.”

Cole, who heads  design studio China Stylus, got his first tattoo at the legendary Ricky & Pinky’s in Wan Chai when he moved to Hong Kong from Britain  in 1994. His first tattoo-related event was the Skin:Inks art exhibition in Central in 2008, which showcased the work of tattoo artists on canvas rather than skin. He organised the event alongside Shum, a renowned tattooist who has worked on the likes of David Beckham, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and a partnership was born that resulted five years later in the first convention.