Tattoo artist Ehyang adores putting her art on people’s bodies. “I think it’s a proud and rewarding thing that someone likes my paintings and keeps them on their body for the rest of their lives,” she enthuses. “There‘s nothing more glorious as an artist than that.”We caught up with her to find out more…
What’s your earliest memory of tattoos? Did you always want to get tattooed? “When I was young, I just liked getting tattoos because they looked cool… then I started to just fall in love more and more, so I thought what could be better than to make them my job?”
How long have you been tattooing for? How did you train to become a tattoo artist? “This year marks my third year. For my sanitation education, I took theoretical classes on machines and needles After that, I practiced with a rubber board.”
How would you describe your style of tattooing? “My style is fine line ornamental. To differentiate myself from other tattooists, I draw animals with an ornamental twist. That’s the characteristic of my tattoos. I love fine lines and decorative tattoos.”
Do you tattoo lots of tourists who’ve travelled for your work? “Half of my guests are foreigners and some of them visit Korea just to get a tattoo from me.”
How long is your wait list? How do customers book in? “I’m taking reservations by e-mail, I used a Korean chat app, but I think e-mail is easier. I usually tattoo one person a day.”
What are the rules for tattooing in South Korea? Is tattooing more underground or becoming more mainstream nowadays? “I think Korea is still a little conservative about tattoos. Most young people get tattoos, and they like to get small tattoos. But I think there are more people getting tattoos than before.”
“I love that a client’s idea can take me somewhere I never thought I would go. “
What’s the best way for customers to come up with an idea for you? Do you offer flash or prefer custom work? “Customised work is more fun. I love that a client’s idea can take me somewhere I never thought I would go. The design that I and the customer made is new and interesting…”
What is the address of your studio? “It’s 61-1, Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It’s my private studio.”
Any interesting hotels / shops / cafes nearby? “There are many cute and pretty cafes near Mangwon-dong, Korea. There is a famous street called Mangridan-gil, and there are many cute shops there. Mangwon Market is also famous. It’s hard to walk around on weekends because there are so many people.”
Do you ever do guest spots? If so, when / where? “I did in Singapore, Australia, Canada, and the U.S.”
What are your hopes and plans for the future? “Now I want to settle down somewhere. I’d love that to be in America because I think I can do something fun and big with more diverse materials than in Korea. I’d love to create a unique style tattoo that only I can do…”
What do you love most about tattoos? “Tattoos are attractive, there are so many styles and it’s fun to be able to express our individuality. And as an artist, I’m proud to be able to create my own creation with tattoos, and I don’t think there’s anything more interesting and attractive than that.”
We absolutely love a tattoo flash day. It’s so exciting being part of a tattoo party, making friends in the queue and choosing a flash design to have tattooed on you forever. On Saturday July 15th, Three Kings London (@threekingslondon) in Deptford are celebrating their third birthday with a flash day and evening of entertainment.
All flash designs will be at a set rate of £60 from one of their expert tattooers, so check out the full blackwork flash sheets on offer here. If you’re one of the first 50 customers on Saturday July 15th you’ll receive a goody bag filled with:
Discount vouchers from Three Kings
Goodies from local independent neighbours
VIP entry for you and your pals to celebrate with the Three Kings crew to the sounds of Rinse FM loved DJ Joe Milli at Little Nan’s
So make sure you get down early!
The Three Kings Tattoo London crew
We first spoke to Amanda Rodriguez in 2019 (read her interview here). With it being three years in July since Three Kings Tattoo out of NYC and Brooklyn launched a studio in Deptford, South East London under the leadership of New York artist Amanda Rodriguez, we wanted to catch up with the tattoo artist.
How have you been since we last spoke in 2019?
I’ve been really good. It’s been really up and down work wise since COVID but now it’s starting to pick up again. We’ve got an amazing crew at the shop now with five full time artists other than myself. My clientele is building slowly but surely and I’ve been able to work on some really amazing pieces in the last few years.
You’re now owner of Three Kings Tattoo, can you tell us how you got to where you are?
Just a lot of hard work and determination to be honest. My business partners from America were super helpful in getting me here to the UK also.
What’s owning a studio like – the highs and lows?
Owning a studio is different than I thought. I love the space I have curated and the artists I have chosen to work with and our employees. However, as a business owner you always have work to do and you are responsible for others’ income which is a lot of pressure. I’ve found juggling the business stuff and my own tattooing career really difficult at times as I have less time to draw and post online.
Amanda’s flash sheet
We think a flash day is the perfect way to celebrate three years, what can people expect on the day?
The flash day is so much fun! We usually have people waiting to get in at 11am and tattoo straight through to 7pm with a little lunch break. This will be our fourth or fifth flash day so I think we’ve got a good system – we take people’s details and what tattoo they want and then let them explore Deptford until we are ready for them. Our customers will get a goody bag with some merch and vouchers for local businesses and this year we are giving them to people before they get tattooed so they can utilise some of the vouchers while they wait (if they have a wait!) This is the first time we’re doing a Saturday so we’re expecting more people. Afterwards we have a party happening at Little Nan’s with a DJ. It’s going to be good fun!
What are you most looking forward to on the flash day?
We always meet some amazing new people on the day and I’m really looking forward to having new people come and experience the shop and the fun vibes. I’m also looking forward to people enjoying Deptford on the day while they wait. I really love the area and we tend to get a lot of people who don’t know it well so this is a great opportunity to get people here and see what Deptford is all about!
What does the future hold for Three Kings Tattoo?
Hopefully lots more guests and our artists being very busy! Brand collaborations down the line would be amazing and trying to give back to the community.
The flash day is open to the public from 11am to 7pm on Saturday 15th July on a ‘walk-in’ basis. The after party at Little Nan’s Grandad’s Shed in Deptford Markey Yard starts at 7pm.
Tattoo artist Alice (@oneskinnyleg) creates “cool tattoos for cool people” at Sanctuary Body Art in Edinburgh. We caught up with the artist to find out more about her style, inspirations and hopes for the future…
My first tattoo was October 2021 – so you could say it’s been since then.
What inspired you to become an artist?
As soon as I started getting tattooed, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. It was a horrible itch I needed to scratch. I knew the remedy was tattooing, but I couldn’t reach the ointment at the back of the bathroom cabinet. You get the idea with this dermal analogy, so I’ll stop there. I got my apprenticeship aged 29 – a bit late to the party, but I normally am anyway.
What’s your earliest memory of tattoos? Did you want them as a child?
I didn’t think about them much until I was 16, then they were all I thought about. I desperately wanted some Death Cab for Cutie lyrics down my forearm – not just one line, like actual verses.
I also tried to get my fingers tattooed when I was 18. It was in a shop in Yorkshire where I went to school, and it was pretty much just in the living room of a terraced house. I got told to come back when I had more than zero tattoos.
Can you tell us about your own tattoos and your first tattoo?
My first tattoo was a falcon on the back of my arm. It’s been described as looking like a fish and a cannabis leaf, but never a bird. I wanted it to be as small as possible so this is absolutely my doing.
I had just the most fun with Justin Yaroma. We laughed a lot and I left the studio a better person with a banging tattoo.
Do you have a background in art or anything creative?
Growing up I worked on my mum’s stables picking up a lot of horse shit. Over the years, I became an expert – my muck-heaps were something of an artform and have been known to make builders cry.
During lockdown I started drawing digitally for the first time, made a bunch of t-shirts which sold alright, and then managed to get an apprenticeship from there. Cheers, furlough!
How would you describe your work? What drew you to this type of tattooing?
I would describe my work as cheeky blackwork plus cats.
I was inspired a lot by the work of tattooers Sad Amish & Matt Bailey during the immaculate conception of One Skinny Leg as an art Instagram page. I love the way the artists can express so much movement with lines and solid black – nice bold ideas and bold tattoos.
I was drawn to this type of tattooing as I love the contrast of solid black against the skin.
What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of?
I like to tattoo lady faces, and I would like to tattoo more lady faces. I’m really digging a big bold line at the moment so anything with this I’m super excited to do. Shoutout to my customers who have an awesome range of weird and brilliant ideas – always down for more of these.
What inspires your pieces and flash?
Things I think are cool get added to the list. Cars are cool. Fire is pretty cool. Cars on fire? Yeah, that makes it. I’ll probably do some cowboy flash – everyone who’s anyone has wanted to be a cowboy at some point. Christian imagery is iconic too, so a little pinch of that.
Where do you see yourself and your art in the future?
Looking forward to my first guest spots next year. I’m super happy to be in a warm and welcoming studio – so looking forward to growing and improving within a supportive environment.
Make sure you follow Alice (@oneskinnyleg) for more fun blackwork tattoos.
Tattoo artist Gigi (Heaji Choi) tattoos beautiful fine line tattoos from Monday Island, Seoul, South Korea. We love her one-liner tattoos and chatted to the artist about her style, journey into the tattoo world and inspirations…
How long have you been a tattoo artist?
I started tattooing in 2020, so three years now.
How did you become a tattoo artist?
I happened to see a video on YouTube where Doy, a Korean tattooist, was being interviewed about his job and life as a tattooer. Afterwards I did loads of research, searching for more information around this career. I thought it looked like an interesting career and so I began learning to tattoo.
What made you want to become one?
The act of leaving a meaningful and long-lasting piece of art on a person’s body was an attractive concept to me, it still is. That’s why I have always been respectful of tattooing and responsible.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I think meeting different people is the best thing. It is a wonderful and enjoyable experience when I meet not only Koreans but also guests from other countries
How would you describe your work?
I find the characteristics of a subject be it an object or person and express these using a flow of lines.
How do you do your one-line tattoos?
Sometimes the lines are quite complicated and the area and size of the tattoo is small, so I can’t exactly see the lines when I place a stencil. If I draw a line wrong even once, the drawing and tattoo might look a bit different. So I am often checking the design and tattoo while I work on it.
What inspires your designs?
I like to take a walk and listen to music. It seems I am inspired by seeing and feeling nature, observing objects and animals around me. Of course, I try to get inspiration by going to art galleries and exhibitions as well.
What do you like to tattoo? What would you like to do more of?
I like to make tattoos of nature, natural subjects and animals. This is what I usually do now, and I want to work on various topics in the future.
Do you have tattoos? Can you tell us about them?
I have a few small tattoos. Most of them are flowers and animals. I got some of them because they were made by my favourite artists, and I got some because I happened to see the design and I liked it so much. I love my tattoos so much!
What do you do when you’re not tattooing?
I like to do yoga. At first, I started doing it just for the physical benefit because I work a lot. But the more I did it, it seemed to help me mentally too, so it suits me really well.
What’s been your proudest career moment?
There’s one client I remember. She got a very meaningful phrase and image on her wrist. It was her first tattoo. She couldn’t take her eyes off it for a while after getting it tattooe. She was very moved and started crying, saying thank me so much.
That’s when I felt once again that this kind of work really does provide a really meaningful moment for people. Since then, I have become more serious about my work – I’m very proud to have this job.
We last chatted to Owen Paulls (@owenpaulls) in 2017 (read his first interview) when he was tattooing on the road. We caught up with the black and grey tattoo artist, who now works out of his private studio (Owen Paulls Tattoo) in Brighton, to find out what he’s been up to for the last six years...
How have you been since we chatted in 2017?
Great thank you! Hope you have all been good too. I’ve been traveling all over and seen some cool things…and ink!
You’ve been tattooing for almost 10 years, how does it feel to look back on where you started?
I don’t really know to be honest! I’m certainly more involved with the industry than I imagined was possible when I started, and there’s so much to learn along the way. The perimeters are always shifting and evolving in the tattoo world, so I guess I feel humbled to think of surviving it for 10 years!
Where do you hope to be in another 10 years?
I hope to be in the same creative mind space and to be focused on how I can keep improving. I really hope I never lose the drive to improve my artwork, in tattooing or painting!
What tattoo projects have you been working on?
There’s been more larger scale work in my diary as of late. I think the last time we spoke I was on the road, so I was mostly doing tattoos that had to be completed in one or two days max! Since then I’ve been able to play the role of a resident artist in a few studios and take on larger pieces over a wider time scale.
It’s been really challenging but a great push in learning how to construct legible sleeves, front and back pieces.
What’s really been getting you excited?
Well firstly, the progression of our industries artistic side over the past, I think three years or so? It’s amazing to watch such rapid evolution of an ancient thing. On a more personal note, I’m so excited and thankful for the trust in creating more surrealism and Disney mashup tattoos.
You mentioned in our last catch up that you were going into a more surrealism style, has this been the case?
I always wanted to do a little more realism that wasn’t so routed in real life or just a copy from a photo. I really enjoy being asked for portraits too, don’t get me wrong, but I love sci-fi or adding a little element of whimsy, flow and direction where I can. I’m still developing this style and trying to learn from other artists, who do this mix really well. At the moment I’m working on a few Disney projects which will see the characters collide with the real world in some way. So super excited for that!
You also mentioned you would ‘probably make the move to colour work’, how has this gone? What changed?
Honestly nothing really changed, apart from the brief pause we all took in 2020! I’m still interested in adding some colour elements but I’d have to stay somewhere long term to really polish this aspect of my work. Right now with traveling and shows, black and grey is the better choice for me and allows me to showcase the desaturated Disney work that has helped me carve a bit more of a tattoo identity over the years.
You were on the road, where’s been your favourite place to travel and tattoo?
It’s hard to pick just one place! I spent nearly two years traveling full time on the road and saw so many amazing places. I really love Italy and Florence especially. It’s so beautiful and relaxing there and in the same breath, I love Colorado for the mountains and nature. Probably because it’s a wilder, more rugged version of where I grew up! NYC and LA of course are beasts of their own, and I do love the busy hustle of city life. I’m tattooing in Germany later this year so maybe that will be added to the favourites list too! Who knows!
Any experiences or stories that stand out?
I remember being in literally the coldest weather I have ever experienced in Ottawa, Canada a few years ago. I thought I liked snow until then! There was a storm and snow stacked against the buildings around four feet. Every pavement and road was pure ice! I was there working a tattoo show and spent nearly the whole thing inside a set of three interlocking buildings with sky bridges, to escape the cold! You’d have to be tough to live there I think!
Oh and almost getting hit by lightning in Florida! I was walking to the shop in the rain when it struck the traffic lights two metres in front of me, taking out the whole block. The loudest sound I’ve ever heard in my life, I’m very lucky to not have been crispified!
How’s the tattoo scene changed since we spoke in 2017?
Change wise, aside from the rapid artistic boost that 2020 seemed to inspire, I’m thankful to see the industry start to become more inclusive. I know there’s still a way to go just like every industry, but we have started the journey and it’s nice to see artists becoming more comfortable to express themselves in their art and/or tattooing.
What’s been your proudest moment in the last six years?
One of my proudest moments has been recently, when I was asked to attend a few tattoo shows, based on my paintings alone. I’ve been working hard on my paintings for a few years on my days off and it’s very validating to be recognised for this. I’ve also had the chance to be part of some really progressive and highly talented teams, like the Empire Inks crew and the FYT artist line up. Not trying to push anything when I say they have the best approach to artist sponsorships and give back at every opportunity. I’m very grateful to be involved with them!
How did you find the lockdowns, were you able to be creative?
I was still in Hollywood during the lockdown, so we really only had one long one over there. It was tough to be taken away from my career plans, mid stride but I understand this was the same for so many creatives and I do appreciate the safety aspect involved there.
I set myself up with a painting and designing schedule, working 10-7, like a regular tattoo day, four or five days a week. I’d just finished a set of classes at LAFFA (LA institute of fine art) and was really keen to get to practice more. Obviously this was more paint time than I had anticipated but I believe it kept me sane and kept the wolf from the door bill wise! I’m aware I have been very lucky though and know this wasn’t the case for everyone around the world.
On a final note I want to say thank you to everyone who supports my art and tattooing. I’m always looking to expand my skill set and learn what I can to improve. I’m thankful to have done a catch up with you and hopefully we can do another in a few years!
