Ryan Ashley DiCristina (née Malarkey, born April 29, 1987), known as Ryan Ashley, is an American tattoo artist known for her appearances on the television shows Ink Master and its spin-offs. Her signature style reflects her training and experience as a fashion designer: Ashley specializes in black-and-gray designs with beadwork, lace detail, and ornamental jewels. Ashley won Ink Master's season eight competition in 2016 and in the following years returned to host a spin-off show (Angels), judge another spin-off (Grudge Match), and judge in the main series. She co-owns a tattoo shop in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Early life and career

Ashley was raised in Dallas, a small borough in northeast Pennsylvania. Her single mother worked at a fast food restaurant while taking night school in accounting. Ashley's mother, who was also an artist, taught her how to draw. She graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology in 2007 and spent five years as a fashion designer in New York City at a private label, where she designed beadwork, lace details, embroidery, and appliqués for garments. Her intricate tattoo style would later reflect these themes.

Seeking a career outside of a traditional office environment, Ashley returned to Pennsylvania to apprentice as a tattoo artist. Her experience working at a street shop (a tattoo parlor that takes walk-in requests) convinced her to only work by appointment. Ashley and her companion opened a shop in Kingston, Pennsylvania in 2013, The Strange and Unusual Oddities Parlor. Ashley tattooed from the back of the shop while the front featured their collection of taxidermy, objects, and restored antiques for sale. The latter had been a hobby from her youth, when she had attended yard and estate sales with her mother and grandmother. The couple opened a second shop in Philadelphia with taxidermist business partners.

Ink Master

In late 2016, Ashley appeared on Ink Master, a reality competition television series in which tattoo artists participate in artistic challenges to outlast other competitors and receive the season's title and monetary prize. Ashley was the eighth season's champion, the first woman to win the title. Mic noted the occasion as a moment for female tattoo artists, who are subject to social stigmas in a male-dominated profession. Under Ashley, the women on the show formed an alliance to outlast their competitors. The show's executive producer said it was the first time such an alliance had held throughout the season. With only five years of tattoo experience, she won the title as a relative newcomer. She entered the show to develop new areas of tattooing expertise and test herself. She had been approached to participate in previous seasons of the show, but declined for scheduling conflicts.

Personal life

Ashley was formerly engaged to Josh Balz, former keyboardist in the metal band Motionless in White.[11][6] She married tattooer Arlo DiCristina in late 2019. Their son, Atheus, was born in May 2020. She announced both her relationship with DiCristina and her pregnancy on covers of Inked magazine.

She returned to New York City in 2018. As of 2019, she lives and works in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she and DiCristina own Elysium Studios.