Bongjin Jeon New York, NY

BONGJIN JEON

Bongjin is a South Korean-born artist who specializes in blackwork tattoos. His vision is to use his preferred medium, the skin, to create statement pieces and conversation starters. Bongjin’s tattoos present a blend of contrasting forms that are both edgy and delicate. His favorite thing to do when given the opportunity is to incorporate an element of wit into a piece. Although he is meticulous in his handling of bold outlines and solid planes of crisp, all-black ink, he believes that part of the fun in life is not taking oneself too seriously! ⸺ What advice

would you give to someone about getting his or her first tattoo?

(A tattoo virgin) I want to tell them to think about brief ideas and plans of what tattoos they would get and what placement they would want, not just for the first time but also in the future. With these concepts in mind, we can get a better plan of the design, size, and placement of their first tattoo to make it compatible with other tattoos in the future. I also always tell them to go with what feels right to them at the moment and what they like the most before anything else. Because at some point, they will eventually regret their tattoos for some amount of time regardless, whether it’s for a brief second or a couple years, whether it’s a 110% perfect tattoo or a shitty tattoo. You will come to like it again ⸺ Who are your favorite artists? I admire a lot of artists out there for their stellar art, but as far as my favorite artists, they are the ones I know personally for who they are as people and how they contribute to the industry, as well as my tattooing journey. All artists at Ivy Ink Tattoo, Ariah Wooster, Rian Othus, Season Licon, and Tayler Recollet-Goulais. Also, Cody Hart, Jess Locke, and many more. They know who they are ⸺ What did your family and friends think about you getting into the tattoo business? First of all, being a tattoo artist is a little secret of mine. Technically tattooing in South Korea is still illegal, so I don’t want to freak them out. I told them I’m kind of a drawer/painter in NYC. I’m planning to tell them the truth when tattooing is legalized in South Korea. My friends were just excited for me since they could get free tattoos when I was an apprentice! ⸺ Who’s the person you want to tattoo the most and why? Angus Young (AC/DC) and Kristen Wiig. AC/DC is my favorite band of all Fxxking time. Angus Young is my icon, for sure. The fact that he is one of the biggest rock stars and doesn’t have any tattoos (allegedly) intrigues me! Kristen Wiig is an actress/comedian who makes people crack up at any age. Imagine her with some dope tattoos on her back or upper arm, but we don’t get to see it until she’s in her costumes. It would bring a fun twist to her comedy. ✕