Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro |
| Birth Year | 1997 |
| Hometown | Los Angeles, California |
| Education | The Buckley School; New York University (Photography) |
| Occupation | Tattoo Artist |
| Studio | Lincoln Tattoo Company (Venice/Los Angeles) |
| Parents | Vanna White (mother), George Santo Pietro (father) |
| Sibling | Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro (brother, born 1994) |
| Public Presence | Instagram: @gigisantopietro (tattoo portfolio) |
| Notable Moment | Tattooed her mother’s first-ever ink (a pink heart) in March 2025 |
From School Projects to Studio Floors
Gigi Santo Pietro grew up in Los Angeles with a camera in hand and art on her mind. By the late 2010s, she had turned her curiosity for visual language into formal training, studying photography at New York University. Photography sharpened her eye: light, line, and texture became the scaffolding of her craft. That training, like a compass, guided her into a neighboring discipline where skin replaced canvas and permanence replaced prints—tattooing.
The transition from photography to tattoo art isn’t a leap so much as a pivot. Composition carries over. Precision matters. The patience of a portrait session translates into the care required for a single-line design. As Gigi moved from lenses to needles, she learned the choreography of the machine, the rhythm of shading, and the subtlety of color that turns a simple idea into a story worn proudly.
Tattooing in Los Angeles: Style, Studio, and Approach
Los Angeles is a crucible for creative work, and Venice adds its own briny brand of grit and glamor. At Lincoln Tattoo Company, Gigi offers pieces that often favor clean lines, balanced forms, and elegant restraint. She’s drawn to the small-but-meaningful spectrum: minimalist hearts, precise flora, compact symbols that carry weight without shouting. The work suggests a philosophy—tattoos as talismans rather than billboards, mementos stitched into daily life.
Her approach is methodical. Consultations map intention, placement, and scale. Design drafts refine a concept. Then comes the needle—an instrument of trust—making each session both collaborative and intimate. Whether it’s a first tattoo or the tenth, her chair becomes a quiet stage where personal stories find shape and permanence.
Family Ties: Vanna, George, and Nikko
Gigi’s name carries associations with a family known well beyond Los Angeles. Her mother, Vanna White, has been a fixture of American television for decades, a luminous presence guiding puzzles and personalities through the nightly ritual of Wheel of Fortune. Her father, George Santo Pietro, made his way through the world of hospitality and entrepreneurship, a figure woven into the fabric of Los Angeles culture. Her older brother, Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro (born 1994), rounds out the immediate family picture often seen in public portraits and personal tributes.
What stands out is not the fame but the tone. Gigi’s public presence is focused mainly on her work—art pieces, studio moments, healed designs, and progress shots—while her family connections surface as occasional highlights rather than constant headliners. This balance suggests a steady center: a working artist proud of her roots, yet intent on building her own path.
Milestone Moment: A Pink Heart and a Public Debut
In March 2025, Gigi’s professional world intersected with her family’s life in a moment that sparkled online and in the press. Her mother sat for her very first tattoo, opting for a small pink heart on her wrist—a design equal parts sweet and symbolic. The tattoo itself is minimal: a simple shape, a clean outline, a whisper of color. But its meaning looms larger, like a bookmark in a long-running story.
The event showcased Gigi’s skill as much as it did a mother-daughter bond. It was intimate and celebratory, the kind of small gesture that carries big resonance. For many viewers, it transformed tattoos from edgy accessories into tokens of tenderness. And for Gigi, it marked a memorable chapter—ink meeting legacy, craft meeting family, and art sealing a shared moment.
Timeline Highlights
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Birth of Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro in Los Angeles. |
| 2010s | Attends The Buckley School; develops interests in visual arts. |
| Late 2010s–Early 2020s | Studies photography at New York University, refining technical and aesthetic skills. |
| Circa 2021 | Begins working professionally as a tattoo artist in Los Angeles. |
| 2022–2024 | Builds portfolio at Lincoln Tattoo Company; publishes steady work via her public Instagram. |
| March 2025 | Tattoos her mother’s first-ever piece: a small pink heart on the wrist, widely shared and celebrated. |
Art, Identity, and the Everyday
Gigi’s story is less about the trappings of celebrity and more about the day-to-day of a creative life. She books clients, sketches ideas, arranges lighting, sizes stencils, and cares for healed results. The routine is the engine. And in the routine, she finds moments of beauty: a line that lands exactly right; a client’s smile after seeing a design; a healed photo that proves time and technique worked together.
Her photography background still whispers in her work. You can see it in the measured spacing of elements, the way negative space frames a symbol, and the gentle latitude of color. Each piece seems composed, as if a still frame were pulled from a moving reel and set onto skin.
Craft and Community
Tattoo studios double as communities—places where stories are told, nerves are calmed, and confidence is rebuilt. In Venice, clients bring anniversaries, memorials, inside jokes, and personal mantras. Gigi’s chair becomes a quiet confessional. The process encourages a pause: preparation, commitment, and then permanence. That arc—decide, endure, wear—turns the simplest shape into a tiny pillar supporting memory and meaning.
Her growing portfolio signals a consistent ethos. She favors clarity over clutter, intention over impulse. The result is a body of work that feels both approachable and precise, something a first-timer can trust and a seasoned collector can appreciate.
FAQ
Who is Gigi Santo Pietro?
She is a Los Angeles-based tattoo artist and photographer, born in 1997.
Who are Gigi’s parents?
Her mother is television personality Vanna White, and her father is restaurateur George Santo Pietro.
Does Gigi have siblings?
Yes, she has an older brother, Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro, born in 1994.
Where does Gigi work?
She tattoos professionally at Lincoln Tattoo Company in Venice/Los Angeles.
What did Gigi tattoo on her mother?
She inked a small pink heart on Vanna White’s wrist in March 2025.
Did Gigi study art formally?
She studied photography at New York University, which informs her tattoo practice.
What style of tattoos does Gigi prefer?
She often creates clean, minimalist designs with careful linework and subtle color.
Is Gigi active on social media?
Yes, she shares work and updates on her public Instagram portfolio, @gigisantopietro.
Does Gigi do first-time tattoos?
She works with a range of clients, including first-timers, guiding them through the process.
What connects her photography to tattooing?
Composition, light, and attention to detail—skills from photography—translate into precise, intentional tattoo art.
