liffe was born and raised in Sydney, Townsville and Brisbane, Australia. He says that his art background at school was drawing 'on' his work books rather than working 'in' them. He began tattooing in 1985, starting with backyard work in Brisbane, Queensland before being offered help by the late Bill Phillips.

Following that he worked with John Nash in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, undertaking a traditional tattoo apprenticeship in a busy 'sink or swim' studio.

In the early 1990's Cliffe attended various USA conventions, tattooing through Los Angeles, San Francisco and Reno before spending four years in Canada working with the world-renowned John 'The Dutchman' in Vancouver, Canada. Upon returning to Australia in 1995, Cliffe found working and living in Brisbane just didn't do it for him anymore, so he moved to Sydney and opened Inner Vision Tattoo in Surry Hills the same year!

Cliffe's work is influenced by the Japanese masters and western artists whose large-scale compositions are designed around the body's natural flow lines and complemented by physical movement. His preferred styles are totemic, personal power symbols, Asian-inspired dragons and anything with lots of water. The surreal idea of transforming the body into a living mural reflecting an individual's tastes or beliefs is something Cliffe finds very appealing. Things Cliffe finds less appealing are repetitive questions, inflexible ideas of clients and having to drink too much coffee!

In Cliffe's own words, "To be tattooed is to put a little part of your inner-self onto your outer skin. It is I feel, the signature of the soul".