Swani’s Ceramic Fine-Line Tattoos

blue ink, fineline tattoos of dragons

Swani, a native of Seoul who is 31 years old, enrolled in 2014 at Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Art de Limoges in France, which offered a major in ceramic arts and design but ultimately decided to pursue a career as a tattooist. Before becoming a professional tattooer in 2017, he studied for two years under the guiding principle of “never stop learning.” His skin art, which is influenced by his Korean culture and art, demonstrates the influence of ceramic. According to Swani, there are also unquestionably identifiable Chinese and Japanese art elements, and not only a concentration on Korean art but “a part of a larger Asian culture.” And even though Eastern nature motifs have distinct meanings, Swani intends to incorporate a modern context and express himself through the imagery. However, he acknowledges that when he thinks of dragons, he is reminded of blue-and-white Chinese pottery (known as “Qinghua”), and the cobalt color is the focal point of his art. He is unconcerned about blue ink fading because clients can receive touch-ups, and he enjoys the natural aging of the artwork on the skin.

Swani is inspired by the paintings of women by Ikenaga Yasunari, Akino Fuku, Ichiro Tsuruta, and Sillda (favorite). He will not limit himself to ceramic imagery in the future; instead, he will experiment with additional styles and compositions.

blue ceramic like buttlefly on hand
korean tiger and dragon on neck, tattoos in blue ink
korean tiger tattoo on neck by swani
asian woman tattoo on ribs, fine line, blue ink
geisha like woman tattoo flash

ornamental tattoo in blue ink on back, korean art
birds on vase tattoo on arm, blue ink
asian woman with headphones tattoo flash
Photos © Swani