Interview with tattoo artist Pokhy

Tattooist Pokhy owns a private studio in Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to the tattooer about what tattooing means to her, the beautiful blue tattoos she makes and her favourite tattoo experience…

How long have you been a tattoo artist, how did you get into the industry? I’ve been a tattooist for five years now. Before I was a tattooer, I worked as a graphic designer for seven years.

I took a break from my work as continuously working overtime meant that both my work and my health were deteriorating.

During my career break, I had the chance to learn tattooing and experience tattoos for the first time. 

Why did you want to become a tattooist? I have always been deeply inspired by the art that lasts on the body forever, rathert than computer graphics or design and so, I decided to become a tattoo artist.

In an era where all media is consumed quickly, art that remains forever is very attractive.

How would you describe your style of work? I usually use thin needles to create my tattoos. The style of tattoos that I make have fine details and vibrant colours.

Most of my tattoos are of natural objects, and these days I’m working on a lot of nature inspires pieces that mainly use blue ink.

Does your heritage or where you live influence your art? My mom likes to do small amounts of gardening at home. So, my house is always full of many plants and flowers. I have a natural affinity for plants and I love to draw them.

What attracted you to colour tattoos, in particular blue in? I simply love blue.

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like tattoos that flow along the shape of the body. For example, I like free-form natural objects such as the tentacles of jellyfish and the stems of long petals.

I want to try a large tattoo that covers the entire back or wraps around the entire leg.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Korea has not yet recognised tattooing as a profession. It is illegal for tattoo artists to do tattoos. That’s why so many talented tattooists are working abroad.

The number of people getting tattoos is increasing, but the legal system is still in the past. I’m hoping for a gradual change. Although tattooists are not protected by law, the consciousness of the country’s citizens is gradually improving due to the popularisation of tattoos.

There are so many talented tattoo artists in Korea. The day will come when they are recognised.

Do you have any guest spots or travelling planned? I plan work in Australia next year and then work in the US.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? It’s a collection of my favourite things. I have tattoos of my pet, life’s motto, so many colours, favourite flowers, my religion and so on. It’s like my personal diary.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? I received a letter from one of my clients, I had covered up some old scars with my artwork. She told me that her heart warms whenever she sees my tattoo and that she gains strength to continue to live in this world by looking at her beautiful tattoo rather than painful memories.

That letter was more valuable than winning any contest or any amount of money.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? I do indoor rock climbing as a hobby. And I spend some time resting with my lovely cats.

Where do you see yourself in five years? The most famous tattooist in Korea.

We love Pokhy’s ambition, be sure to follow @pokhy_tattoo for more beautiful blue tattoos.

Interview with tattoo artist Eunyu

Tattoo artist Eunyu runs her own private tattoo studio in Seoul, Korea. In this post she tells us all about her journey to becoming the artist she is today, how she lives her life through art and her beautifully delicate tattoos…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? I have always had a desire to become an artist. After graduating from college, I decided that realistically it would be difficult to become an artist that only painted as a profession. So, I became an ordinary office worker.

After about a year, I realised that I didn’t want to give up painting. At that time, a friend of mine who was a tattooist, told me I should learn to tattoo. Fortunately, tattooing as a job suited me really well. I became a disciple of Sol Tattoo. A tattooer and shop that are famous in Korea for their delicate tattoos. I learnt tattoo techniques which matched with my delicate and small drawings.

Do you have a background in art? I have been drawing since I was very young. After graduating from a specialised art high school, I entered an art college. I majored in oriental painting, but I also studied various art fields such as photography, design and Western painting.

I usually go to lots of exhibitions, read art magazines and try to live a life very closely related to art.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? I think the most attractive part of being a tattoo artist is the ability to build a special relationship with your customers. If people like my small drawings they buy them and by doing so they show that they like my style. A lot of my clients ask me to design them something that is unique. I find it really rewarding to communicate with and tattoo people who need my drawing talent and tattoo skills.

By creating a custom design I get to hear the special story of the person I will be tattoing. The client trusts me and I’m very proud of this. That’s why I want to talk to more of my customers and do custom pieces in the future.

How would you describe your work? I explore the little things that can be found in nature and I delicately draw them with love. Bright colours and an array of colours are represented in my work. Although they are small in size, the details are delicate and require a lot more effort than expected.

Do you prefer to do colour or black and grey tattoos? I like both. But I like to deal with a wide range of colours, which makes colour work more fun. In the beginning of my tattoo career I did a lot of black and grey work. But as clients prefer my colour work, I’ve
been doing it more. Lately, I’ve been working on just black tattoos though.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? I often use photos that I have taken myself. In these photos of nature I find a lot of colours that inspire me. I try to create natural compositions as much as possible by pursuing the reality of nature’s form rather than deviating from the original.

I tend to choose the final design after I have tried lots of different ways of doing it. I respect my customer’s choice so I prepare several commissioned designs for them to choose from.

What inspires you? I like nature, shiny things and cute little animals. I especially like a smooth flowing shape which is often found in nature. As such, most of my designs are inspired by nature. Soft and saturated colours are my favourites too, so I like flowers and colourful birds.

I also like beautiful stories like fairy tales. I get ideas from song lyrics and use my imagination to make existing objects more beautiful.

You tattoo a lot of fish. Why do you think this is? The fish I draw have a transparent smooth flowing tail. The design sits beautifully on the skin as a tattoo, like a real fish swimming freely.

There is beauty in the curves and the red colour goes well with my customer’s skin tones. It all comes together to give people a soft and fluid feel. That’s why a lot of people seem to like my fish tattoos.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like to draw creatures that change shape such as fish, jellyfish, and birds. This is also because I can then present various designs to my customers.

In the future, I want to work on big designs, so that the flowers change according to the shape of the body. For example, I want to create a tattoo in the form of a large wrap around plant that stretches freely over the body, such as morning glory or a sweet pea flower.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have about 10 tattoos, most of them are flowers and plants. I also have my lovely cat tattoo. I don’t have any very large tattoos yet, for my next tattoo I want a big beautiful flower on my back.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? The tattoo scene in Korea is developing at an incredibly fast pace. Watercolour style tattoos that are very delicate or use a variety of colours are sometimes called Korean style. Because there are so many talented and great tattooists a lot of people come to Korea to get tattooed from around the world.

However, society isn’t keeping up with the popularity of tattooing. Tattoos are still illegal in Korea, so tattooists and citizens are voicing that legalisation should proceed for a larger tattoo market in the future.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? The proudest moment is, of course, when my customers show satisfaction with the tattoo I have done. People who ask me for a custom design often tell me very personal stories that are melancholic and sad. They often say that they are comforted by the tattoo designs I make and that they are happy. When I hear this I feel that I did really well in becoming a tattooist.

There are people who express it in words at the appointment, but there are also people who quietly send me a picture of my tattoos completely healed and a message of sincerity. This makes me really happy.

Follow @eunyu_tattoo (if you don’t already) for more wonderful nature-inspired tattoos.

The Floral Fox

Amy Rose is a 29-year-old artist from the Cotswold, who creates soft pencilled botanical art in muted tones. We chat to Amy about what inspires her and her tattoos, and she created the piece Winter’s Hand just for us… 
Winter'shand

Winter’s Hand 

Do you have a background in art? The only art course I have done is a Btec national diploma in Fine art when I was 16 and I had no idea what I wanted from it. I have been drawing from a very young age and haven’t stopped ever since.

What inspires you? Mostly I am inspired by botany and the natural world. I am also a trained in florist, so my flower knowledge helps me when I am looking for botanical inspiration. I also get inspired by objects that I collect which can be anything from antique books, framed moths and bugs, bones and other curiosities like that.

Amy Rose

What do you like to draw? Anything botanical, animals, insects and oddities. I usually spend hours reading up on certain plants, flowers or animals and finding out about natural habits and behaviours  before I start a piece. I have a big collection of natural history books and botanical books that I have collected and inherited from my grandad that keep me inspired.

What medium do you use? I use coloured pencil on coloured paper, normally soft prismacolor. I also like to use black ink but find that with botanical work it looses certain elements when you don’t use colour.

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Where can people buy your art? I have a shop on Etsy.

Do you have any tattoos? What do you think of tattoos in general? I only have five tattoos so would love to add to them in the future. I love tattoos, I love how diverse tattoo culture is and how it keeps evolving, there is so many different styles my favourite being botanical black work.

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Interview with Hannah Willison

Hannah Willison is a travelling artist who creates bright and bold gemetric tattoos featuring every aspect of nature. We chat to Hannah about her experimental style and what inspires her work… 

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How long have you been tattooing? How did you get into it? Five years so far. I was offered an apprenticeship at a local studio in Exeter. After a year, the owner decided he didn’t want another tattoo artist. So, I left that studio and set up a market stall selling my own graphic t-shirts and hand painted converse. One day when I was working on the stall, the owner of another local studio approached me. She really liked the artwork I’d painted on the shoes, and asked if I’d ever considered becoming a tattoo artist. She offered me an apprenticeship on the spot. The opportunity was a gift from the universe, and I was grateful for the second chance. So, I closed my stall and the rest is history.

What were you doing before? I was working as a model in London and internationally.

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Do you have a background in art? I attended an art foundation course and dropped out after a month. I didn’t pursue further education after that. I’m pretty much self taught. Drawing and painting has always been a form of self expression for me, something I’ve always enjoyed doing in my spare time.

How would you describe your style? It’s hard for me to pin-point a particular style. I like to mix and collage monotone illustrations with coloured graphic/geometric elements. My style of work is constantly evolving and changing. Each new design is a process of discovery.

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What kinds of things do you like to tattoo and draw? Up until now I’ve mostly drawn, painted, and tattooed animal designs. As a vegan I like exploring themes related to our connection with nature, and concepts related to human and animal consciousness.

What inspires you? Nature. Everything related to the natural world interests me. Also travelling. I take inspiration from what I see, i.e. old architecture and street art.

I’ve recently joined The London Library, and feel like a child in a sweet shop when I’m there. I’ve fallen in love with their old collection of 18th century books. I enjoy looking through vintage natural history illustrations. Aside from this, I like the ‘Lowbrow’ art scene- Mark Ryden, Lori Earley, Tara Mcpherson are a few artists I admire.

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Do you have any guest spots planned or conventions? Yes, I plan to travel a lot in 2016. I will continue to guest at The Family Business in London, I’ll also be working in Berlin, France, and New York.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? I have a dotwork sleeve by Tomas at Into You.This was my first piece and it’s my only piece at the moment.

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