Precious things tattooed to capture a moment in time, tattoo artist Dareum (@dareumtattoo) creates beautiful drawings for the people that visit her. Here we found out more about her art, hopes for the future and how you can get your very own “drawing tattoo”…
Tell me about what made you fall in love with tattoos?
I fell in love with tattoos when I first got them. Having loved drawing since I was a child, I fell in love with the charm of being able to paint on skin, not paper for only one person.
What’s your earliest memory of tattoos? Did you want them as a child?
I didn’t know I would be a tattooist when I was young. It hasn’t been long since Korean tattoos became popular. I think tattoos and tattooers are still in the stage of changing that perception. Tattoos were strongly perceived to be negative, their images were frightening in Korea. Of course I thought so too when I was young.
How did you train to become a tattoo artist?
I first learned to tattoo in 2016. At the time, I majored in visual design at university, and I had the opportunity to learn tattooing, but I slowed down for a while because it was a time when I was thinking about my career path. Then in 2018, I started again properly. I learned the practice of expressing my paintings in tattoos and how to handle machines.
How would you describe your style of tattooing?
“Drawing tattoo”, I want to say that! I transfer the drawings that I make on paper onto my client’s skin. I like to express the texture of the materials I’ve used. That’s why it’s better to call it “drawing tattoo”!
Do you tattoo lots of tourists who’ve travelled for your work?
Yes, Of course most of my guests are Koreans, but I’m so grateful to the customers who come to me while traveling.
How long is your wait list? How do customers book in?
My books are always open. I accept reservations for the next one to two months first.
How should customers contact you? Of course if someone is travelling over from the UK, how much notice would you need?
I communicate with all my customers through messenger or email. First, if you contact me with the date you want, I will send you a notice and a booking form. Please contact dareumtattoo@gmail.com, Instagram DM, or Kakao Talk.
What are the rules for tattooing in South Korea? Is tattooing more underground or becoming more mainstream nowadays?
I think Korea is still in the middle stage. All Korean tattooists are striving to develop a tattoo culture. I hope that the day will come soon when we can legalise and work confidently.
What’s the best way for customers to come up with an idea for you? Do you offer flash or prefer custom work?
I prefer to work on flash designs. I’m so grateful to the customers who accept my personal drawings as tattoos. Of course, I’m so grateful to the customers who trust me with custom designs as well. Knowing and trusting my style can be a pleasure for both customers and myself.
What is the address of your studio?
The studio is located in Yongsan-gu, the centre of Seoul. It is adjacent to Myeongdong, Jongno, Itaewon, and Hannam-dong tourist attractions.
Do you ever do guest spots? If so, when / where?
In 2019 I went to Paris, then in 2022 I was in London and in 2023 I visited Tokyo. I haven’t been to many different places due to the pandemic, but now I want to try to visit lots of different places again!
What are your hopes and plans for the future?
The current plan is to develop more hand-drawings and to go to various countries. I want to do art books or exhibitions with my drawings someday too.
What do you think about the tattoo world itself?
Tattoos are an art that you can use to express oneself without explanation. It marks a time that has passed. Many of my clients got their tattoos to remember a time or leave precious things on their body.
Over time, you can take out your old diary, look at the tattoos as if you are immersed in memories, and look back on yourself at that moment in time.
Make sure you follow Dareum (@dareumtattoo) for more beautiful tattoos
Tattooist Jooyoung creates beautifully colourful floral tattoos near Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. Here she tells us all about her journey into the tattoo world and love fortravel…
How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? This year marks 11 years since I first began tattooing. I have had a talent for painting since childhood and I have always enjoyed drawing.
I began to explore the tattoo industry as I wanted more opportunities to display my painting skills. When I became an official tattoo artist, I fell in love with this profession and have been practicing it ever since.
To have a deeper understanding of tattoos, I also studied English and attended multiple international tattoo exhibitions.
What inspired you to become an artist? Do you have a background in art? My interest and passion for art is my primary source of inspiration. I have art education. I worked as an art instructor at the academy for a long period after graduating from art school, although I wasn’t very interested in it.
At the time I was looking into how I could increase the value and reputation of my paintings. I happened to come upon a tattoo by chance and decided to challenge myself to do it professionally.
How would you describe your style? What drew you to colour tattoos? My tattoos are often delicate and use a variety of colours. I’m skilled at creating tattoos with fine lines in various colours. I also incorporate a contemporary Korean style into my tattoos.
If I think about the reason I got into colouring tattoos, I believe it’s because I have always liked painting with different colours. Colour tattoos require a great deal of effort and time, but they are always pleasurable.
What inspires your designs? Does your heritage influence your art? Where I grew up was abundant with nature. I’ve always been interested in nature because I grew up surrounded by mountains and fields and spent time outdoors with my friends. I was greatly inspired by nature. I prefer mountains and the sea and I am a fan of plants and flowers.
Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? Tattooing was not a smooth journey for me, especially during the first year or two of my career as I encountered numerous obstacles. Even though I now enjoy tattooing after numerous different experiences, I was initially terrified and lacked confidence.
I like doing small-sized tattoos. When I initially began doing small-scale tattoos, I experimented on my younger brother. I was so anxious and overwhelmed that I had no idea where to begin. Fortunately, my teacher was really kind and taught me how to do it and so I felt much better and began to gain confidence. Small tattoos are difficult to create since they require a great deal of design and detail to be unique, but I have mastered the skill through extensive practice.
I would like to try something new in the future. I will experiment with more tattoos with unique styles and designs. I will also make an effort to create more large-scale tattoos, which involve different abilities and designs.
How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? Now that I am proficient with small-sized tattoos, I plan to experiment with various styles. I will continue to create colour tattoos in the future, as they are my expertise and my favourite. However, my tattoos will become increasingly unique and larger.
What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection developed since then? My first tattoo is a floral watercolour design. This tattoo was given to me by my best friend, who is a renowned tattoo artist. I like it very much. To this day, I vividly recall how painful the process was. It was too large for my first tattoo. I got the tattoo over two days sitting for for five hours each time, and it hurt so much.
Since then, when I do tattoos for others, I concentrate primarily on smaller designs because they are less uncomfortable.
Where’s been your favorite place to travel and tattoo? England is an excellent travel and tattoo destination.
I was in England as part of a guestspot. I had a wonderful and unforgettable experience. I did some excellent tattoos and met nice people there. The weather, the guests, and the vibe at that time were all perfect.
Do you have any travels or guest spots planned? Next year, I intend to work in Europe. Europe is a lovely and romantic region with several attractions. After completing my guest work, I intend to travel with my husband on a lengthy trip.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Tattoos are still seen negatively by the majority of Koreans, but tattoos are gaining popularity among young people. Due to legal and medical restrictions, tattooing in Korea is not as free as in other countries. I hope that people’s attitudes of tattoos will change in the future. I am also aiming to increase the popularity of tattoos.
What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? When I am not tattooing, I prefer to exercise or enjoy my personal time by doing things like reading. Once a week, I also enjoy spending time with my husband and engaging in enjoyable activities.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I enjoy doing tattoos for people from various countries. I also travel to various countries as a guest spot and attend tattoo conventions. These opportunities allow me to experience a variety of things and engage in artistic exchanges with top tattoo artists. As a tattoo artist specialising in the Korean style, I am also pleased to represent Korea through my tattoos and educate a wider audience about Korean tattoos.
When I receive recognition from a large number of tattoo lovers and other professionals, I feel the most accomplished. This strengthens me and motivates me to work harder. If they enjoy and value the tattoos I’ve given them, I feel that my value is increasing.
Follow @jooyoung_tt for more incredible floral tattoos and travel updates.
Tattooist Yerae creates beautiful floral tattoos at Dasibom studio in South Korea. We chatted to the tattoo artist abouther love for colour and creating coverup tattoos for her clients…
How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I’ve been tattooing for over three years and I have always been interested in drawing. However, I didn’t attend art school as my family encouraged me to focus on academics instead.
My interest in art and painting has never ceased and I often wondered how I could continue my artistic career. Then one day, I accompanied my friend to Seoul to get her first tattoo. As soon as I saw the tattoo artist at work, I fell in love with the job. I found drawing on people’s bodies to be absolutely stunning. Since then, I have taken tattoo classes and pursued the profession. My paintings have gradually evolved into my own tattoo style.
What inspired you to become an artist? Do you have a background in art? As mentioned previously, I have been interested in art since I was a child. I became a tattoo artist as a result of my enthusiasm for art, particularly drawing on people’s bodies.
As a hobby, I have always painted, yet I’ve never received any art education. In school I studied International Relations and Political Science, which are completely unrelated to art. The topic itself was interesting, but I could not envision myself working in the industry, because I had always wanted a job that would allow me to utilise my creativity.
How would you describe your style? What drew you to colour tattoos? My tattoo style is both feminine and eye-catching because I use lots of brilliant and strong colours – I create numerous floral tattoos. Initially, the majority of my work was in black ink, but after realising that the uniqueness and character of flowers are derived from their colour, I decided to concentrate more on colour tattoos.
Despite the range of colours and species, I believe that every flower has a distinguishing hue that identifies it. When you think of sunflower or daffodil, the colour yellow comes to mind, but when you think of violet, the colour purple comes to mind.
I believe the usage of multiple colours adds vibrancy to tattoos because we inhabit a world of colour. In addition, I execute numerous coverups, which, in my opinion, far more dramatic results are produced with colours.
What inspires your designs? Does your heritage influence your art? Since the majority of my work focuses on floral and botanical elements, I get inspiration mostly from flowers, plants, and nature, but also from my clientele.
Regarding coverups, for instance, I have had numerous clients who were desperate to cover their existing tattoos. Before confirming an appointment, I discuss with my clients how they wish to cover it up so that they do not regret their decision. Once covered, it is difficult to remove or apply additional coverups, therefore I strive for perfection. For coverup work, my designs are inspired by the client’s preferences, their present tattoo’s shape, placement, and flow, as well as their body’s positioning and placement.
I remember that my grandfather was so pleased to see me sitting down with my sketchbooks and drawing as a child. He bought me crayons, coloured pencils, watercolors, and additional art supplies. When I first saw his drawings, I was astounded since they were primarily portraits and I never anticipated my grandfather to be so talented in art, as he was an accountant and I never saw him draw. Later on, he explained to me that after surviving the Korean war, he was unable to follow his dream of being an artist. When he saw me drawing, he was delighted and believed I had inherited his artistic talent. He complimented me, offered me advice, and gave me his old sketching books. I believe that his encouragement of my artistic endeavors influenced me to become an artist.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? Recently, I had the chance to create a back coverup with flowers and a dragon. It was difficult, but I enjoyed tattooing the dragon so much that I’d like to do more fantastical animals surrounded by natural elements.
In addition, a few months ago I worked on a floral leg piece that extends from the ankle to the thigh. It required four complete sessions, each lasting 8-9 hours. I enjoyed the way the flowers, stems and leaves flowed along the leg line despite the lengthy duration of the project. I would love to create more full-leg and full-sleeve designs.
How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? Since I already have a high level of expertise in floral tattoos and a large number of clients come to me just for floral tattoos, I believe that I will continue to concentrate my work on flowers and other elements from nature. I would also like to focus more on coverup and larger pieces in the future. I am also considering using more toned-down colours to add variety to my design, as I have predominantly used brilliant tones.
Where’s been your favorite place to travel and tattoo? Last summer, I visited London, Hamburg, and Leeds, and each of these cities was fantastic.
I visited London for the first time abs I made some tattoos there. Not only was it enjoyable to do tattoos, but also to explore the city.
In Germany, I attended graduate school. Visiting Hamburg brought up many pleasant memories from the past. It was a wonderful opportunity to return to the country, and in Hamburg, the tattoo studio, the people, and even the weather were perfect.
I attended the Leeds Tattoo Convention when in Leeds. I finished three outstanding tattoos at the convention, and my clients loved them. This exhibition also raised awareness of Korean tattoos among a wider audience. Everyone who passed by at the convention was drawn to my unique tattoo style, and they conveyed their admiration and affection for Korean tattoos to me. I am pleased that people are taking a keen interest in my tattoo style and complimenting it positively. Participating in such a big event is very valuable to me because I am able to communicate with so many tattoo artists from multiple countries, share my tattoo experience with them, discuss the challenges and solutions of working in the tattoo industry, and discuss various tattoo techniques.
Do you have any travels or guest spots planned? Although I don’t have any concrete plans as of right now, one of my goals for the coming year is to travel to Australia for a guest spot.
What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection developed since then? My first tattoo was a script of my name in Dzongkha, a Sino-Tibetan language, on my shoulder. However, it had faded with time, so I covered it with flowers. All of my tattoos are floral designs. My intention is to cover my left arm with black flowers and my right arm with coloured flowers.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? I think that most people are aware that in South Korea, tattooing was not previously a common practice or topic of conversation. Due to fine line designs and work details, the market for Koran tattoos continues to expand, and Korean tattoo artists are increasingly famous for their talents and designs.
However, the tattoo industry in Korea still has a long way to go in terms of developing a safer and more comfortable environment for both tattoo artists and clients. I am optimistic about the future. I hope that one day a growing number of individuals will value and be proud of their tattoos. I am also working to promote Korean tattoos internationally by traveling to different countries and presenting my work.
What moment in your career are you most proud of? I enjoy and appreciate all of my works, but I am particularly proud of my scar coverups. Many of my clients were traumatised by the scar or recall the time they were injured. One of my clients had multiple red marks on her legs and praised my job by stating that she had never worn a short skirt since she was a child because she wanted to conceal them. She said that even her parents were pleased to have the scars covered, and so I felt proud and pleased to be a tattoo artist.
Follow Yerae for more beautiful floral tattoos and impressive coverups.
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 tattooingand 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 careerso 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.
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.
