Dojun is a tattoo artist from South Korea with over eight years of professional experience, specializing in minimalist microrealism tattoos.
The central theme of his work is nature: animals and botanical elements rendered in a refined and calm manner that reflects the aesthetics of traditional Korean art. Dojun’s portfolio is the result of academic art training and many years of working directly with the human body.
Beyond his artistic practice, he is actively involved in the development of the Korean tattoo industry. He serves as the Executive Director of Green Tattoo Center and takes part in the work of the professional Tattoo Union, focusing on the legalization of tattooing in the country., contributes to professional initiatives focused on the legalization and regulation of tattooing in Korea.
Today, Dojun works both in Korea and internationally, maintaining an active practice between Korea, Canada, and Hong Kong.
Before entering the tattoo field, Dojun received a formal art education. He studied textile design at the undergraduate level and later completed a master’s degree in fashion design.
“In Korea, admission to art and design universities requires serious training in academic drawing, including figure studies and precise realism.”
These years of study shaped Dojun’s technical foundation and his understanding of imagery as a process that requires time, discipline, and precision.
“Rather than literally reproducing reality, I simplify and soften realism, leaving space for emotion.”
Microrealism became Dojun’s starting point in tattooing, allowing him to transfer his academic skills to work with skin. Over time, his style grew softer and more restrained. His tattoos began to include more air and unfilled space. This approach is strongly influenced by Korean artistic tradition, where emptiness is considered a meaningful compositional element.
“I see the natural tone and texture of the skin as part of the composition itself.”
Dojun explains that he uses color rarely and with great care. His work is primarily based in black and grey so that tattoos can exist harmoniously regardless of the way a person dresses.
“When I do use color, it is only as a subtle accent, a small emotional point rather than a dominant visual element.”
In his work, Dojun often turns to images of nature: birds, animals, and flowers. These subjects combine strength and fragility, freedom and vulnerability, beauty and impermanence.
“Birds, animals, and flowers are especially powerful images for expressing human life and emotion.”
Through natural forms, Dojun conveys personal stories, both his own and those of his clients. Tattooing in his practice becomes a form of emotional memory, a way to preserve lived experience without direct narration.
Nearly all of Dojun’s tattoos are created as custom projects. Each design is developed for a specific person and their individual story.
“I take time to listen carefully and create a design that belongs only to that person.”
Work with a client begins with an unhurried consultation. Dojun pays close attention to conversation and tries to understand why a particular tattoo is important to the person. He shares that during sessions he always aims to create a stable and calm atmosphere.
“Some people like to talk, some prefer silence, some listen to music. I respect each person’s rhythm.”
Each tattoo, in his experience, gradually becomes part of a person’s life. The understanding that his work accompanies people over many years is something he considers the most valuable outcome of his practice.
When speaking about meaningful works, Dojun rarely highlights specific tattoos. He shares that the most important moments in his work are those when he sees a change in the client’s expression after the tattoo is finished.
“In that moment, the gaze softens, posture changes, and breathing slows. Those moments remind me why I do this.”
Over more than eight years in the tattoo industry, Dojun’s work has moved beyond the local scene and gained international recognition. He received the Best Small Black & Grey Tattoo award at the Inked Circus Tattoo Expo in Canada. His practice also includes collaborations beyond the tattoo world, including an art project for the Jordan Seoul Flagship Store and a commissioned work with a live art performance for the Swiss luxury watch brand Roger Dubuis at a closed VIP event in Korea.
In addition to his artistic practice, Dojun is actively involved in the institutional development of South Korea’s tattoo industry. As Executive Director of the Green Tattoo Center, a professional union organization representing tattoo artists, and as a vocal advocate of the Tattooist Act, he has contributed to shaping policies that place tattooing within clearer legal and health frameworks in Korea.
The act, finalized in 2025, marked the first time tattooing was formally regulated as a professional practice for non-medical practitioners, creating a safer environment for both artists and clients. This institutional engagement complements his artistic practice, positioning Dojun not only as a minimalist micro-realist, but also as an influential figure in the evolution of Korea’s tattoo industry.
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