In America, we take with no consideration our skill to brazenly get tattoos and exhibit our work to the world. In South Korea, tattooing is unlawful and artists must ply their commerce very rigorously, conserving the enterprise underground. Even with the added challenges he faces in his homeland, Camoz is among the trade’s rising stars. We sat down with the thriving artist to know how he got here up in South Korea’s secret tattoo neighborhood and the way he plans to take the world by storm.
Take us via your expertise getting your first tattoo and the way it led you to turn out to be a tattoo artist.
It was a small tribal tattoo on my ankle and I solely had two issues in thoughts. One, “Oh, that is gonna harm,” and two, “I’m gonna be so cool after this.” After that I assumed tattoos had been fairly cool. There’s one thing particular about making the shopper really feel good after getting it.
What’s the tattoo neighborhood like in Seoul and the way does it examine to different cities you’ve visited?
Doing something with a needle on pores and skin is unlawful in South Korea. There are quite a few gifted tattoo artists right here and we see one another via social media, similar to the remainder of the world. Because it’s nonetheless thought-about very taboo and the trade isn’t protected against the legislation, one huge distinction from different locations is that we’re much more cautious throughout the tattoo neighborhood. We positively have our guards up with one another in comparison with different international locations.
As soon as we’re capable of safely journey once more, the place do you propose to tattoo?
Since tattooing is unlawful in my very own nation, residing right here as a tattoo artist is sort of troublesome. It’s additionally arduous to be revered on this occupation. If I do get the possibility I want to work in America. With the journeys I’ve taken, I’ve felt an enormous distinction in tattoo tradition and the tattoo artists even have a really completely different vibe. I want to work in an setting the place I will be revered and hold my head up with pleasure.
What’s your favourite tattoo model to create in and why?
I’m a fan of latest faculty tattoos. I favored that there aren’t any guidelines to this model. The colours, creativity and breaking of the principles was very interesting to me. However at one level, I felt that my work was wanting lots like different new faculty artists and I felt confined to a brand new algorithm. Nowadays, I attempt to abandon the principles in all kinds. I really like coloration and I’m having enjoyable developing with items that specific unconventional issues with full freedom.
Do you assume you’ll stick to at least one model or proceed to create tattoos in a wide range of kinds?
I feel I’ll proceed to create tattoos in a wide range of kinds. I restricted my creativity and skill by defining myself as a brand new faculty tattoo artist. My inspirations are constantly altering and if altering up my model means I can specific myself extra and have enjoyable, then I’ll carry on doing that.
A lot of your tattoos mix realism with kids’s drawings. How did you give you this concept?
I’ve been drawing all my life and I used to be an artwork main at uni, so even once I was studying to tattoo there was this crucial obsession to attempt for perfection. Nonetheless, I simply needed to let free impulsively and get away from the thought of perfection. I additionally needed to return to my roots, to a time once I felt harmless and liberated whereas drawing. These tattoos are a mixture of Camoz as a child and Camoz as a tattoo artist.
If you’re not tattooing, we see that you simply take pleasure in making caricatures of your fellow tattooers. How did you begin doing this?
I used to be by no means a really social child. My method of constructing associates was via artwork. I might all the time draw my associates, and making them snicker via my drawings made me completely satisfied. I don’t assume I began drawing caricatures wanting one thing in return, it was simply my type of speaking and making associates.
