Gigi, a 35-year-old native of Seoul, enrolled at Suwon University to study apparel and textiles but left after the first year to become a fitness instructor and then a tattooist. With only three years of professional tattooing experience and a strong desire to learn, she has received plenty of advice from skilled Korean tattooers. Her […]
Tag: Eastern Asia
Tattooer Jimmy Shy is Reviving Pinky Yun’s Legacy
Taiwanese Jimmy Shy’s vibrant dragon and tiger artwork is essential to the present and the past of tattooing. Takahiro Kitamura’s 2023 book “Tattoo Master Pinky Yun: The Don Ed Hardy Flash Collection” featured his rebirth of Yun’s (1927-2010) iconic artwork. According to Jimmy Shy’s remark for that publication, “Pinky Yun (…) is the godfather of the Asian […]
Shane Tan’s Complete Collection, From Paintings to Japanese Tattoos
Shane Tan, known for his triumph in Japanese-style tattooing, spent seven years developing his self-titled book. Tan’s passion for woodblock print masters is evident in the 448 pages of hand-drawn line drawings, paintings, and tattooing of characters ranging from Tenjiku Tokubei to Nango Rikimaru. Although woodblock imagery has a long history, it flourished as a […]
Q&As with Yeono about Photorealistic Tattoos
When Yeono was 17 years old, her mother decided she wanted a tattoo and sought her assistance in locating an artist. She was awestruck by the precision and artistry of Japanese tattoos (especially the extraordinary backpieces). Yeono quickly connected with tattooing and realized it would be her lifelong passion and profession. She investigated the possibility of following the […]
Fluffy Talks About Her Floral Animal Tattoos
Fluffy, a member of a new school of South Korean tattooers who likes tiny, intricate tattoos, has learned the skill at Seoul’s Studio by Sol Academy. Cats, snakes, and dolphins embody flowers and vivid hues. The customers seek it to depict their beloved family pets or significant others. And like her colleagues, Fluffy seeks to […]
Rizn’s Interview on the Fundamentals of Art
Before becoming a tattooist, Rizn exhibited installation art and painted professionally for over six years. This knowledge has aided her in launching a tattooing career. And unconcerned that she has a few years of tattooing experience since her enthusiasm for the arts is sufficient to propel her forward. Rizn is also interested in establishing a stable […]
Interview with Jehoo on Stylized Reinterpretations of the East
Jehoo was born in 1980 in Pohang, South Korea. After studying electricity in high school, he supported his family as a mechanical engineer for the steel industry for a decade. After ten years, he decided to become a tattooer, but due to a lack of apprenticeships in his country, he was forced to learn independently; […]
Kiwa’s Color Mandala Tattoos
Kiwa, a college dropout, abandoned his music degree to pursue a tattooing career because he was more interested in drawing and having his artwork significantly impact human bodies. For the past nine years, he has been tattooing professionally, fusing Hindu and Buddhist mandalas with color spectra seen in traditional Korean culture and architecture. They also […]
EQ: From Art Teacher to Tattooer
EQ was an art teacher before becoming a tattooer in 2019. Friends and others encouraged her to explore tattooing because of her talent and excitement for drawing. Initially self-taught, she eventually attended Sol’s Tattoo Academy in Seoul. EQ plans to challenge age and cultural role expectations by working hard to achieve professional success despite being […]
From Ceramics to Castles: The Work of Ovenlee
Ovenlee was born in 1995 in Chuncheon, the capital city of Gangwon Province in South Korea. She attended university in 2014 and studied ceramics and textiles before opting to pursue a career as a tattooer in 2018. Fascinated by the countryside’s natural beauty, she depicts it in vivid color in her tattoos. She creates fantastical […]