Tattoos are a luxury. That’s the opinion of Mr. K, a resident artist at Bang Bang Tattoos, New York. Formally trained at Parsons School of Design, his career evolved from corporate graphic design to streetwear fashion, before picking up a tattoo machine last year. A lover of fine art, some of his first works were replicas of classic masterpieces.

“Tattoos should be treated like high end products,” he tells me. “You have to research and find the perfect artist. Then comes the maintenance. Without care, even the best tattoo will look really bad. I always mention to clients that fine line tattoos will not stay so delicate or precise after a few months or years; you have to get touch ups, stay out of the sun. You have to really take care of these purchases, they’re forever.”

Photos © "Mr. K" / Sanghyuk Ko