Interview

Apr 1

Ogi (Seungjin) Oh

Ogi works at a BK Studio in South Korea, and he specializes in a combination of fine lines/black and grey with detailed descriptions. From a very young age, he loved drawing. Ogi naturally grew up with a much better understanding and skill in drawing than others. And thanks to his parents who supported this, he was able to do a variety of art-related studies. Ogi graduated from art high school and majored in video design at a prestigious university. While he was in university, he joined the military under the duty of the Republic of Korea. The military was a place where one could meet a wide variety of people. Ogi saw a lot of people with tattoos there. It was interesting to him that the canvas was not paper, but the human body, and he was instantly fascinated by the uniqueness of the art, which was different from the art he had seen before. At the same time, he thought, “Oh, I think I can do better if I do it.” From then on, Ogi dreamed of becoming a tattoo artist. After he was discharged from the military, he started learning skills to become a tattoo artist, and he has been an artist since 2017.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“From a very young age, I loved drawing. I naturally grew up with a much better understanding and skill in drawing than others. And thanks to my parents who supported this, I was able to do a variety of art-related studies. So I graduated from art high school and majored in video design at a prestigious university. Due to the obligation of Korean men to join the military as an adult, I joined the military when I was 20 years old. It was a time when tattoos were illegal and people with tattoos were not common, but since the military was a place where a variety of people gathered, I was able to see many people with tattoos at that time. It was the first time I was able to see a tattoo up close that was unfamiliar to me. It was really interesting to me that the canvas was not paper, but the human body, and I was instantly fascinated by the uniqueness of the art, which was different from the art I had seen before. At the same time, I thought, “Oh, I think I can do better if I do it.” From then on, I dreamed of becoming a tattoo artist.”

What inspires you?

“I have a lot of customers who are throwing the theme of Greek mythology. That's why it seems that I am naturally inspired by architecture and statues while designing. Especially when I go on a guest work to Europe, I tend to visit sculpture museums and art galleries to get a lot of sauce.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“Currently, there is no fundamental message that I want to pursue in my work. Tattooing is about drawing an indelible picture on a person's body, so I try to reflect the opinions of customers as much as possible rather than my thoughts. I think there is a great barrier to asserting one's thoughts in this part of the tattoo artist's life. One day, If I meet a customer who wants to receive totally my own work, wouldn't I be able to go and think at that time.”

How would you describe your work?

“For my tattoos, the most important thing is basically a design that flows along the muscle line of the area desired by the customer. At the same time, geometric elements were used to create the beauty of blank space. I wanted to differentiate it from the existing traditional black and grey tattoos, dense coloring on the skin, and a style that I sometimes feel is too much for me. This way, each customer's unique skin color can be brought out and harmonizes well with the tattoo. In a word, is a style with understated richness and sexiness black and grey tattoo style. In terms of design, I think there is no end point, so I am constantly trying to raise the visual level through various art media, exhibitions, and viewing antique buildings. Until the day when the black and gray genre can be loved by both men and women of all ages, I will keep trying to complete a style that can show restrained weight and sophisticated beauty.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I respect a tattoo artist named Osacar Akermo. The traditional black & gray genre may feel a little heavy because it fills all spaces without any space. I think he is the first tattooist to express an understated margin and rich tattoo according to the line flow of the human body among tattooists focusing on the black & gray genre. To build my own style, based on the inspiration I got from him, I am also researching and trying to harmoniously express the beauty of the interaction between black & gray and geometry to create a design that is both understated and rich, and able to flow the lines of the human body. Until the day when the black and gray genre can be loved by both men and women of all ages, I will keep trying to complete a style that can show restrained weight and sophisticated beauty.”

“Tattooing is about drawing an indelible picture on a person's body, so I try to reflect the opinions of customers as much as possible rather than my thoughts.”

What is your creative process like?

“Before tattooing, I’m given below things by customers.
1. 2-3 topics they want to get tattooed on.
2. A photographs of actual body parts that they want to get tattooed on.
3. The size they want to get tattooed on.
4. How much time they can spend on tattoo. There is a lot of data depending on the topic, but since each individual's muscle is different, it is most important to get a picture of the actual body part they want to get a tattoo in advance so that I can collect data that can best flow to their muscle line. Based on the information I received from the customer, I design the collected materials and geometry in my own style.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“I think that artists deal with social problems through art, raise awareness, and often play a role in bringing about social change in connection with social movements. Artists seem to be an important medium to make society and the world a better place through works of art. I think that the scope of art can be expanded and active in more diverse fields in line with the modern era when everything can be shared using mobile phones.”