Artist Feature: Hajun Ko
Meet Hajun Ko, a Korean tattoo artist bringing ink and education to the masses.
Tattooing since 2020, Hajun’s craft has flourished immensely despite the challenges that Korea presents in the country’s tattoo culture. He has mastered a variety of tattoo styles, won competitions, and held an educational seminar for fellow Korean artists to benefit from. Now, he is preparing to bring his ink-covered dreams to America under an O-1 Visa.
Starting off, when did you decide to become a tattoo artist? Tell us about your journey, and how you learned the craft of tattooing!
The first time I [considered] becoming a tattoo artist was in 2019. Originally, I studied music and liked to draw when I couldn't focus on [that]. Since middle school, I've been very interested in tattoos and practiced on my friends' arms with a pen. At first, I studied tattooing on YouTube and practicing on fake skin. I was very interested in studying the type of tattoo needle, tattoo genre, and history. In 2020, I started tattooing my friends and acquaintances. My interest was only in tattoo design and my skills; so I didn't even make a social media page [at first]. Only friends, acquaintances, and family knew that I was tattooing. My parents wanted me to go to college for what I had been studying, but my passion for tattoos started to grow.
When my passion for tattoos reached its peak, I took a leave of absence from university. To study the Chinese and Taiwanese tattoo styles that I was interested in, I went to Taiwan to study as a student. In the morning, I [would take] Chinese classes; and in the afternoon, I went to a tattoo shop to learn the craft. Getting information about tattoos in Taiwan was quite difficult, and tattoo artists [were often] reluctant to share information - even if they did, the language barrier made it hard. In the end, I couldn't do anything except get information about the tattoo culture and perception of it in Taiwan. It was such a chaotic challenge, and started without any planning. I think I was just that passionate about tattoos. So, I returned to Korea after 6 weeks. When I got back, I started searching for tattoo studios and artists, and also created a social media pages for my tattoos. I attended The Inked Studio, where tattoo artists are often recognized the most. There, I was able to get a lot of information about tattoos and made connections with numerous artists.
Eventually, I participated in a competition per the recommendation of other artists. I got second place and a certificate. It was my first competition, and I got so much inspiration. It was an opportunity for me to show my work to the public and through the convention, I wanted to do more diverse activities; but as you all know, tattooing in Korea is a really difficult area. There are only a few conventions in Korea, let alone expos. That's why conventions held in Korea are famous for being difficult to win awards. I wanted to get information about tattoos in the wider world. Even after entering a studio in Korea, I often went to Taiwan to get inspiration, and I was envious of tattoo culture [outside of] Korea. So I looked into tattooing in the U.S., which I had dreamed of for a long time. The only visa I could obtain was an O-1, an artist visa. I realized that there is some information and connections that I can't get from Korea. It was hard to find a studio and sponsor that I could work for in the United States. So I visited the U.S. in October last year, just like when I went to Taiwan. Fortunately, I made various friends, found a studio to work for, and also got a sponsor. I talked with various artists and shared culture, information, and techniques about tattoos. My desire to work a tattoo in the U.S. is growing, and after returning to Korea, I am focusing only on American artist visa!
How would you describe your tattooing, both artistically and the technical execution of it?
In Korea, tattoo artists focus on the designs that customers want to get [tattooed]. We change the design until the customer gets [what] they want. There were many cases where I tattooed, even if it wasn't the design I wanted. After the convention, my style began to change little by little. Most of the customers liked my style, so I was able to [maintain] it.
I like [subjects] related to East Asia the most, and express them through color realism, black and gray, oriental, and Japanese styles. I like tattooing [with] various colors and creating designs with [a lot of] contrast. Recently, I have been studying tattoos/designs that are only expressed in a few colors!
Looking at your portfolio, there’s an amazing amount of variety and versatility in your tattooing skills! What does it take to build such a strong foundation in multiple tattoo styles?
To tattoo, we have only a needle to express a lot of art techniques. We need to know a lot of art-related information: prints, watercolors, sketches, realism, and oil paintings could be incorporated into tattoos. It is necessary to study these characteristics and how to express them [through tattooing].
I think tattoos should pay more attention to the design than technical [application]. While artists naturally improve their skills while tattooing, designing is another job that needs to be mastered - that's why I tell most artists to focus more on design.
At the end of January, you hosted your first tattoo seminar ever, centered around tattoo design and photographing tattoos! Tell us more about this incredible adventure and how it came to be!
[In Korea], it is difficult to get proper tattoo training. [While studying] tattoos, I got the wrong information and learned in a hard way [that had] easier methods. That is why I wanted to hold a seminar for beginners. Contrary to my belief, many people were interested in my event: beginners, convention participants, competition winners - all attended my seminar.
The seminar was based on [my growth] in a short period of time and the experiences I've had [tattooing]. I wanted to discuss basic things like tattoo design and tattoo photography. I thought that the technique related to tattooing is more of a self-learning thing. That's why I held a seminar on design that can express one's individuality a little more. I taught them about my own design methods, techniques, and the history of the genre.
I [wanted to hold] the seminar for a small number of people; but after posting the event on social media, the [attendees] exceeded in a day! I received a lot of calls to hold the seminar again. The seminar went successfully, and the artists who participated even gave me flowers and expressed their gratitude.
You recently applied for an American Artist Visa to begin tattooing in the United States! What inspired you to apply for an artist visa here, and how has the process been so far?
As mentioned above, tattooing in the United States has been my dream for a long time! After going to the U.S. and talking with many artists, I came to love the tattoo culture in there more. [In America], I can participate in the various conventions and expos that I want, hold seminars freely, and be respected as an artist - sounds like heaven to me! In Korea, tattoos tend to be disliked by the public. So, it's not easy to find materials that can prove your position as an artist. But now I'm trying to find my artistic value as much as I can find, and I'm preparing hard. So far, I've been in touch with immigration lawyers and preparing my visa application smoothly.
Thankfully, there are continuous calls from customers waiting for my work in the United States. I'm applying for an American Artist Visa on my Instagram, and I've uploaded a statement that I'll receive a reservation when the visa is confirmed, and I've been getting a lot of inquiries. But now I'm trying to find my artistic value as much as I can find, and I'm preparing hard. I hope I can enter the United States and hold a variety of tattoo-themed events with a variety of people!
Seeing the tattoo cultures in both Korea and America during your career, how do they differ? Are there any similarities / differences in what clients are interested in tattoo-wise?
The biggest difference is the perception of tattoos. [In Korea], getting tattoos is seen as a “gangster's act.” They are discriminated against, much more than racism. About 1 in 100 people have tattoos. There's a saying, “if you have tattoos, skip it and watch it.” There is a [common occurrence] of denying tattoos, and many avoid people with them. In Korean broadcasting, celebrities must cover their tattoos to appear on a show [because] the public believes it is rebellious against society. It has a very opposite culture to the United States. Korea tends to think that tattoos are fashionable , rather than showing an individual's personality. So, there are some limitations that many artists can't [unleash] their styles at will.
So, it is difficult to make money from tattooing here. When I first started, I made my living with various jobs. It's no exaggeration that artists who tattoo in Korea are in the top 1%, with most of them being 20 to 30 years old.
2024 is still very young, with lots of time to continue accomplishing personally and professionally! Do you have any specific goals you want to achieve through your tattooing this year?
My first goal is to get an American Artist Visa. It's a very important thing for me and I think it's [something] that can change my life! If I get a visa, I would like to build a class in the United States where artists can receive proper hygiene, design, and art education for tattoos. Of course, it is also my dream to open a tattoo studio if I have the opportunity!
Before we let you go, is there anything else you’d like to add?
I've been talking about being a tattoo artist, but I think this will apply to every profession out there. If there's something you want to do or challenge, don't hesitate to. Only those who take on challenges can experience failure and success! I experienced many failures and achieved various things while tattooing - but most memories are also accomplishments. Lastly, I want to say thank you for reading my story to the end. I also want to say thank you to Tattd for choosing me as an Ambassador Artist!
