Japanese

Plants and flowers are the subject I work on most often. From flowers with a clear form — roses, lilies, plum blossom — through to the run of leaves and stems, the strength of this subject is the way it sits naturally along the curve of the body.

Flowers suit the body. They are made of curves rather than straight lines, so they follow the bend of an arm or a back as it is.

So the design is not finished on paper; it is laid on the body and adjusted while I watch the flow.

A rose on the back of the hand, flowers across the back, a lily in a frame, plum blossom covering old lettering, a snake with tulips — a great deal of my actual work sits in this subject.

There are two ways to treat it: fine line, taking only the outline thin, or black and grey, putting in the thickness of the petals as well.

Which is right depends on size and placement. The smaller it is the fewer lines it takes; the larger it is the more room there is for shading.

It is a good subject for partial colour, too. Colour on a single layer of petals makes the rest fall back like a background.

Flowers are often used to cover old tattoos and scars, because leaves and stems can erase an edge naturally.

Whether a cover-up is possible depends on the state of what is being covered, so send a photo first and I will tell you.

Each flower carries its own meaning, but at the consultation I ask first why it has to be that flower.

I work by appointment only, in a private studio in Hongdae. Design, placement and size are settled together at the consultation.