Dokhwa – The Rising Tattoo Artist from South Korea

Sometimes we find a tattoo artist, whose work inspires us. And, if we are fortunate then we get a chance to interview them. A few days back, I came across the Instagram profile of Dokhwa. She is an inspiring Tattoo artist from South Korea. Her tattoo style is color realism and she usually works on portraits and pets. Let’s see her responses to our Interview questions and get to know more about her.

1. What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and when did you start it as a career?

I didn’t study art, but I was interested in drawing.

When I was 20, I got my first tattoo.

The artist who gave me a tattoo looked cool. So I became interested, At 22, I decided to become a tattoo artist.

2. How many tattoos do you have on your body and what’s your favorite one?

I have a lot of tattoos on my body. My favorite is this dead bird tattoo. This tattoo is by one of my favorite artists, @oozy_tattoo.

Dokhwa Dead Bird Tattoo

He’s been an artist I’ve admired and liked since I started tattooing. He’s a famous artist, and there’s a lot to learn from him. So I like this tattoo the most!

3. Which is your favorite client tattoo, what was the story behind it, and how much time it took?

This is a collaboration with one of my favorite friends and artists, @tattooist_yeono.

It was a time when we both loved working with animation, I was working on black and she was working on color.

We thought it would be so cool to collaborate on it. That took a long time, probably 17 hours. But we had a lot of fun doing it, and it was meaningful!

Tattooist Yeono Toy Story

4. What do you do in your free time when not tattooing people?

I draw with Oil paint or colored pencils. That’s improved me further. And I enjoy my own time and get energy! Or I watch a movie or meet a friend.

5. Why do you think people get a tattoo, even though it’s a painful process?

I think it’s because they leave meaningful things on the body.  Favorite things, people, unforgettable memories, pets, anything that is meaningful to them, I think people remember them for the rest of their lives when they see them as tattoos on their bodies. I’m the same!

6. Who is your favorite tattoo artist?

My favorite artist is @oozy_tattoo.

When I started tattooing, I saw his work. I’m so into his work, it was my favorite style!

He is a famous and talented artist. The design is awesome. I told him I loved his work, and he gave me a tattoo. He’s nice, and there’s a lot to learn from him.

7. What different styles of tattoos do you make?

I am designing by adding pop art, illustration, etc. based on portraits. I love looking at different works of art. So I want to represent them with tattoos, by creating my style!

8. Where do you see the future of Tattoos?

I think in the future there will be a lot of marketing around tattoos. Also, I think there will be more talented artists.

And tattoos are still illegal in Korea. Recently, many artists are campaigning for legalization. I think tattoos will be legal in Korea in the future!

Editor Note: I hope this comes true. Tattoos are an art form and should be appreciated.

9. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I’m working on pets right now, but I love doing portrait work too! and I’m interested in pop art, illustration, and a lot of other things.

So I’ll be an artist with my style, specializing in portraiture.

10. If you get a choice, which celebrity would you like to Tattoo and any specific design?

Post Malone! I like Post Malone’s music, and he has a lot of tattoos. I don’t have a specific design in mind, I want to do something meaningful for him.

Editor Note: I think he is an Inspiration for Tattoo artists. He has 70+ tattoos on his body, you can check them out at Post Malone Tattoos.

11. Please share your social handles and how to reach out to get a tattoo.

You can contact me through my Instagram profile and also through email.

Editor Note: Dokhwa is very passionate about Tattooing and we are sure she will be one of the most popular Tattoo artists in the future. We wish her all the luck and would love to see more of her work.