About Us
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Sweet Trade Tattoo was opened in the spirit of family, Aloha, and a deep respect for our roots in traditional tattooing. We are a small family business, each of us with our own unique role to play in the studio.
Adam and his wife, Athena, came to Maui for their honeymoon and decided quickly that the beautiful uncomplicated nature of the island was the place for them. Adam & Athena adore Maui, the ocean, and all that it has to offer. Together they are surfing, snorkeling, diving, hiking with their dogs, or just enjoying a family day at the beach as often as they can. Being a part of this small community in west Maui has been the privilege of their lifetimes.
Adam tattoos, as he and Athena run the studio together, sharing the day to day operations. Siobhan, their hanai daughter, tattoos and maintains the studio’s social media.
Together they are dedicated to providing a pleasant atmosphere, original works of art, the highest standards in sterilization, and beautiful, long lasting, original tattoos.
Adam is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a professional artist since 1996, and moved with his family to Maui in September of 2012 after falling deeply in love with the Pacific ocean. Adam is a master oil painter who works with traditional American, Japanese and Polynesian tattoo.
As an oil painter he uses the classical techniques of oil painting to create abstract compositions of brilliantly colored forms. His work is in private collections throughout the United States. As a tattooer he uses a traditional process in creating boldly contrasted tattoos that will last a lifetime.
Adam has devoted his life to his work and is consistently working on something. He is always tattooing, working on a series of oil paintings, writing about his philosophy on painting and tattooing, or writing poetry.
Siobhan is a long time Maui resident, growing up on Maui since the age of 10. She loves Maui’s tight-knit community and loves enjoying the beauty of the island. Siobhan has been making art since she first learned how to write her name, and became a full time working artist at age 18. Siobhan’s apprenticeship consisted of studying oil painting, water colors, classic traditional tattoo flash, and philosophy. As a tattooer Siobhan works with a variety of American and Polynesian traditional tattoo.
When Siobhan isn’t tattooing or painting, she is most likely spending time with her family, painting with her daughter, skateboarding with her husband, and playing geeky games in town with her friends.
Jared Coleman has tattooed all over the country, working as a guest artist in many different tattoo studios. Jared enjoys traveling and meeting new people in each new place. Originally from Utah, Jared has family on Maui, and decided to join the Sweet Trade Tattoo team in 2024.
Jared is exceptionally skilled in many styles of tattooing, but excels in color, realism, and sticker and patchwork style tattoos. He is also excited to explore any new style of tattoo you may have in mind.
Jared’s first love is skate boarding, and he enjoys shredding the gnar around Maui, drawing, and playing guitar when he’s not in the studio.
Following her dream to live in the tropical beauty of Hawaii, Athena moved to Maui with her husband Adam, and their dogs in 2012. Athena has been a full-time Animal Behavior Certified Dog Trainer, owning her own business, Such Good Dogs, since 2009, using positive reinforcement training methods. Athena specializes in training dogs with fearful, nervous, and anxious behaviors, but also trains family dogs in basic manners, trick training, and specialized Service Dog training.
Athena is the studio manager for Sweet Trade Tattoo, taking on the administrative tasks such as taxes, working with our vendors, and helping to maintain the website and retail sales. You can often find her at the front desk helping clients discover just how much fun we are.
When Athena is not training dogs or working at the studio, she enjoys spending time with her own pack of dogs on hikes and in the garden, going on adventures exploring new areas of the island, and playing board games and cards with friends and family.
David is the owner of Blue Hawaii Tattoo. Sadly his shop was lost in the Lahaina fire on August 8, 2023. David is originally from Southern California, and settled in Maui in 2007, where he did a tattoo apprenticeship in Lahaina and started his career as a tattooer. He enjoys tattooing all styles and specializes in neo-traditional, black and grey, and dot work.
When he is not at the studio tattooing, David enjoys spending his time with his wife, his bulldog, and riding his Harley low rider ST. David and his family currently live on Oahu. He frequently comes back to Maui to work with us.
Monica Painter is the owner of Golden Hour Tattoo in Chico, California. Monica specializes in illustrative, neo-traditional tattoos. With over 15 years of experience, she creates bold custom designs featuring themes like ladies, flora, fauna, and beyond. Monica is dedicated to fostering a comfortable, inclusive environment in her studio, ensuring a welcoming experience for every client.
Rec lives in Hiroshima Japan, and started studying tattoos at the tattoo studio Biorhythm when she was 19. She works with American traditional tattooing, lettering, and Black & Gray tattoo. When she is not in the studio, Rec enjoys exploring the outdoors, drawing and working on other art projects, and relaxing at home with her cat. Rec enjoys visiting Maui as one of our regular guest artists.