Tag: South Korea

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Natural lines: tattoo artist JOOJOO

Tattooist JOOJOO (Jinju Kim) creates delicate floral and linework tattoos at her studio in Hapjeong, Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to JOOJOO about tattooing as a form of self expression and spreading happiness through her art…

How long have you been tattooing and what made you want to become a tattooer? I started tattooing in 2018. My art and tattoos are the best way I can express myself. I’m a naturally timid person and can come across as shy, because I find talking about myself or talking directly to someone new difficult.

Tattooing was so attractive to me as it allows me to express myself exactly as I want to without feeling like I’m acting. I prefer other indirect forms of expression as well, such as fashion or sharing the music I listen to. Once I discovered tattooing I started to learn how to do it, there was no hesitation at all.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? There was a customer with a lot of painful memories, their arm was full of scars and she wanted to get a tattoo over them. So we covered her scars with some of my floral tattoos and she was so thankful afterwards. I’ll never forget how happy she looked, it was my happiest and proudest moment.

I think tattooing is the best way I can express who I am, I’m very proud to have this job.

What do you like to tattoo? I like drawing objects that are found in nature, these are the subjects I enjoy the most. I really like all aspects of nature, from the warmth in the green of the plants around us to the blue of the ocean that speaks to me of freedom.

To me, nature is the place that I get so much energy from and the colours are so inspiring. I enjoy drawing these aspects in my own style to transform them into a tattoo design that will work on the skin.

Why are tattoos so special? Tattoos act as a way for me to keep doing what I love, what I want to pursue in my life and how I express myself and my feelings. My clients keep these things on their skin and the act of giving them a tattoo is really special.

How would you describe your style? I redraw the topics and objects my clients want in my own style with my unique viewpoint. When I’m drawing these things I also think about how they’ll be placed on the body. Whether it’s a plant, animal or flower each natural painting needs to complement the final placement.

After drawing the initial shape with clean, thin and simple lines I add colour. The colour is layered to mimic crayons or brushstrokes. In my art I pursue a picture that appears ordinary but in the end it’s not.

What inspires your work? I feel inspired by plants, animals and music amongst many things. I also really like the work of Picasso, his paintings are my favourite. They’re abstract, detailed yet also simple and in every one his identity can be clearly seen.

I also don’t wish to draw things exactly as they appear in real life. For me, art is a way I can express in my drawings what I see and feel. Picasso is one of the best painters of this expression, he’s the painter who inspires me the most.

Can you tell us about tattoo culture in Korea? A lot of Koreans and Korean celebrities get tattoos even though it’s illegal to be a tattooist here. Despite this Korean tattoo artists are famous around the world and receive invitations to work in a lot of different countries.

Tattooing is recognised as an artform across the globe and I think Korean laws should be changed to reflect this. Young people in Korea are really interested in tattoos and the majority of my clients are young.

When are you happiest? I am truly happy when I tattoo my drawings. I like the idea that a person will be going about their daily life and look at the tattoo I’ve made for them and feel happy. This thought drives my tattooing and inspires my work.

Make sure to follow @tattoo_joojoo for more amazing tattoos.

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The little cottage: tattoo artist Ovenlee

Ovenlee creates cottage-style tattoos at Ovl Studio in Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to Ovenlee about her journey into the tattoo world, what inspires her colourful tattoos and what it’s like to tattoo in South Korea…

How long have you been tattooing? Around four years, I started in the summer of 2018.

How did you become a tattooist? What made you want to be one? I was a student at art college majoring in ceramic crafts and design when I got my first tattoo.

The day I got my tattoo I fell in love with it and tattooing. I was charmed by the craft and I loved the idea that someon else could have one of my paintings on them for the rest of their life.

After that I became interested in tattoos and my friend, who was a tattooist at the time, said I should become one too. He told me that my drawings would make very special tattoos.

It was then that I knew I wanted to learn how to tattoo. Luckily I came across Soltattoo who was advertising for a student, so I contacted him and he became my teacher.

What does tattooing mean to you? It is a medium that allows me to bring together the memories of myself and the people I tattoo. When I paint a picture using my own memories and experiences my customers can also attach a meaning to the image that’s unique to them.

We meet through my paintings and that’s how we share each other’s stories.

What inspires your work? I get inspired by objects in my daily life and things I remember. I enjoy taking photographs in my free time and sometimes I bring motifs from them into my work. I can also get inspired by verses from my favorite songs.

What do you like to tattoo? I love cute animals and flowers!

How would you describe your style? I think my paintings and tattoos are in a fairytale and cottage core style. The objects I depict evoke memories and I draw them in warm colours. In terms of the practical side of tattooing I mainly use colour ink.

The thing that makes my tattoos different is that I don’t add contrast with black ink. The design is done with just colour ink.

So after the tattoo heals the colours don’t look dark, but instead appear transparent and clear. I think they heal more naturally without black ink being added.

The tattoo becomes a part of the body more like skin; this is what I like the most about my work.

Can you tell us about your proudest moment in your career? I always feel super proud when I can offer comfort to my clients with one of my tattoos.

I had a client who wanted a tattoo of her cat who had died a few years ago. Through her tattoo and the appointment we shared many stories and she found comfort. When I can share stories like this through my paintings I feel very proud of my job.

Why are tattoos so special? Tattoos are the best way I can describe and express myself. I have several tattoos and these explain my life, the person I am and my life’s motto.

Can you tell us about tattoo culture in Korea? In the past, Korea was a very conservative society where tattoos were considered to belong to gang members and men. Because of this people with tattoos were not given as many job opportunities and celebrities on TV had to hide their tattoos.

Recently a lot of young people have seen tattoos as a way to express themselves and so various tattoo styles have appeared and a tattoo trend is rising. Unlike in the past, colour and mini tattoos are becoming more common and now young women are getting them (more than 98% of my customers are female).

As tattoos become more common more artists are flowing into the tattoo world and more genres are emerging. This makes me really happy. Older people still have a bad perception of tattoos, but now tattoos don’t seem to have much of an impact on finding a job and celebrities on TV shows don’t feel obligated to cover up.

However, in Korea, tattooing is considered a medical practice. A group of tattooists called the ‘Tattoo Union’ is working hard to fix this. As people around the world pay attention to Korea’s tattoo technology and styles, I hope they will pay attention to this issue as well.

When are you happiest? I am very happy when I spend time with my cat and listen to my favourite songs. A lot of ideas for my tattoos comes to mind at times like this!

Also, I am happy when those who have received my work send me a thank you message. There were customers who said they found hope and courage when they looked at their tattoos and others who were grateful that they have memories they could remember for the rest of their lives. My heart bursts when I think about it and I’m at my happiest at times like this.

Make sure to follow @ovenlee.tattoo for more colourful tattoos.

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Interview with tattoo artist Zee

Zee (@zeetattoo) creates fineline floral tattoos in South Korea. We chat to the tattooer about his first tattoo, love of black ink and the flowers that inspire his work…

Why did you want to become a tattoo artist? I wanted to become an artist becaue I like to meet people. Tattooers can meet new people all the time and at almost every appointment.

So, I thought I would become a tattooist as I also liked the idea of engraving a person’s memories, resolutions or their favourite things onto their skin.

How did you become a tattooer? Before I was an artist I worked as a noncommissioned officer of the Republic of Korea Navy for four years. While working I had the opportunity to get a tattoo.

When I got my first tattoo I was really attracted to the tattooists as they had a completely different life to the one I had back then. I started learning about tattoos and how to tattoo from the person who gave me my first tattoo.

What do you like to tattoo? I like to tattoo big colourful flowers in black ink.

What inspires your designs? I buy a lot of fresh flowers and use these as references for my drawings. I also refer to the work of other tattooists a lot of the time.

However, I think the best thing for me to use is the flowers, because even the same kind of flower has differences when compared to others in the bunch. Each type of flower has things that only they have and this inspires me.

How would you describe your style? There are various curves on the human body and I use their flow to make big and small flowers and leaves. I place these on the body and use very thin lines to create each piece.

Your tattoos are mainly in black, do you prefer this over colour? I personally think that black ink is better than other colours, but I don’t think it’s as fashionable. It’s not that I don’t like colours but my favourite colour is black.

Can you tell us about the process behind linework tattoos? I collect a huge amount of information to help me prepare just one design. I bring all this together into my drawing and when I’m happy with it I start painting. When preparing the design I tend to pay a lot of attention to the overall arrangement.

What do you love the most about being a tattoo artist? My favourite thing is meeting new people and tattooing lets me do that. I also love visiting new countries and experiencing their cultures and food.

When in your career have you felt the happiest? Now that I think about it, I think it was when I first started tattooing flowers. At the time I wasn’t sure if I was happy but now I think I definitely was, especially as I got to learn something new too. Of course, even now I am studying constantly.

Do you have any guestspots or travel planned? I don’t have a definite plan yet, but I want to meet new clients and experience new cultures. It’s always an interest of mine.

What about your own tattoos are you a tattoo collector? I have a lot of tattoos that I’ve done on myself. I tend to try new things on my own body before I do them on anyone else. Also if I like the work of a tattooer I try and get a tattoo by them.

Follow @zeetattoo for more of his amazing floral tattoos.

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Interview with tattoo artist Songe

Shin Song Eun (@songe.tattoo) creates colourful floral inspired tattoos at Inktable tattoo studio in Hapjeong, Seoul. We chat to the tattooer about her journey into the tattoo world, her intricate style and favourite things to tattoo…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I happened to see a tattoo on my SNS app. It was so detailed and I thought how can you express that kind of detail on the body? That’s when I started to get interested in tattoos.

 How did you become an artist? I was a student at art college and then I found a tattoo academy after much consideration.

I learned to tattoo under my teacher, @soltattoo. I worked on my tattooing every day for two and a half years to get where I am now and grow as an artist.

How would you describe your art? I like natural things so my tattoos feature a lot of flowers. I try to express a composition and arrangement that goes well with the body of the person I’m tattooing.

Your tattoos are really bright, what do you love about colour? I think a lot of people also like my bright pastel colours. I also like to use a lot of colourful tones rather than dark colours.

What’s the inspiration behind your work? I read a lot of fairy tale books. And I usually read botanicical books too. I like to look at the pictures of nature that have been taken by the writers as well.

What do you like to tattoo? I work on a lot of ‘fluttering flowers’ and I like them. I think small flowers flow beautifully on different people’s bodies, I love the feeling I get when I see them.

Even if they’re the same flowers, they all look different and give off a different vibe.

Where can people get tattooed by you? My tattoo studio is near Hapjeong Station in Seoul and I’ll also be in Singapore in June.

What’s your favourite thing about being a tattoo artist? Every day I can draw and express myself through my drawings. When I would draw at work or school I would design inside a fixed frame, or so it felt. But with tattooing it’s different, I can draw in my own way.

I also really like drawing in a way that combines my customer’s style with my own style.

How do you create your small tattoos, are there any challenges with these? Some people work on a small tattoo because they think it’s going to be faster and easier.

But, I think small tattoos need to be even more detailed than bigger tattoos, because they need to express the same details in a smaller areas. It takes more time than you’d think.

Do you have a favourite tattoo? I like plant tattoos I do the most.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? When I was guesting abroad of lot of people really liked my work and wanted to get tattooed by me. There was someone who had waitee several years to get tattooed by me, which made me feel so happy and proud.

Make sure to follow @songe.tattoo for more beautiful tattoos.

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Interview with tattoo artist Pauline

Tattooer Pauline (taken from his mother’s baptismal name) creates beautifully delicate fineline tattoos at Inktable in Seoul, Korea. We chat to Pauline about capturing the feelings of a specific moment in his tattoos…

Why did you want to become a tattoo artist? There are many reasons, including thoughts and memories that I don’t want to forget. Tattooing allows for elements of beauty in my life. It also indicates a direction and ideals that I want to live in and live by.

How did you become a tattooer? Since I was young I have encountered art in my natural environment. Being around art so much inspired me to go to university to study sculpture.

I was attracted to painting and the field of tattooing and so wanted to study this too. While studying sculpture, I fell in love with tattooing and creating my own paintings, especially the idea of engraving these onto skin.

How would you describe your style? I think my tattoos capture the emotions and stories of the moment. Due to the nature of my line drawings it’s difficult to get the same picture more than once. So, I can only draw the lines and the feelings expressed in that very moment. I think it’s this part that is so attractive to me and my clients.

Have you always tattooed like this? No, there’s been a lot of changes in how I paint. At first I did blackwork and oriental paintings as I liked this painting style. However, I was always drawn to line style paintings without realising it and then I openly fell in love with linework.

Your lines are mainly in black, do you prefer this over colour? I don’t insist on black, but I think I prefer black to color. In my tattoos I like to change the thickness of the line as well as the strength and weakness of it. Personally, I think black can express these things best.

What inspires your designs? In the past I was very inspired by Klimt’s drawings and Egon Schile’s drawings. These artists are one of the reasons why I became more interested in drawing.

I always try to look at other artists’ paintings to broaden my horizons. Mainly because other paintings, music and movies are also inspired by areas of art that surround them.

What do you like about tattoos? Tattoos are a way that you can live with pictures of your own stories. Then when we see a tattoo we remember ourselves and others from that time. You can express your personality through them and to me they’re a part of art.

What do you love the most about being a tattoo artist? I get to do what I like to do. It’s a very good thing as I love painting and I’m able to do a job that’s related to it. I also like having a free schedule and control over my time, that’s one of the many factors that makes it so good.

Can you tell us about the process behind linework tattoos? When you’re painting, you’re drawing and so you’re creating a line without any hesitation. It’s different when you’re transcribing that line into a tattoo. You have to express every line well from the neat ones to those with strong and weak points too. I think it’s better to make a line in the skin rather than draw it on paper.

Tell us about your own tattoos, do you collect them? Yes, I have a lot of tattoos. I have the face of my mother, whom I respect, engraved on me. Then there’s also a figure from Korean history, this tattoo helps to give me direction and live the life I want.

Sometimes I collect tattoos because I just like the artist’s paintings. I have a wide variety of tattoos.

When in your career have you felt the happiest? My tattoo appointments are a time where I can be supportive of people. Everyone has pain and some people want to overcome their pain by getting one of my tattoos. I feel proud and happy to be an artist who can be of any help in other people’s lives.

Do you have any guestspots or travel planned? I have been to so many countries including Germany, America, England and France. I’ll be in Singapore soon but currently I don’t have a planned schedule.

Make sure to follow @pauline.tattoo for more beautiful tattoos and travel plans.