Caitlin Yabut
As Henri Matisse so poignantly said “creativity takes courage”. This certainly rings true for all artists, as it takes a lot of boldness to freely express ourselves and challenge normalcy. So those who are unafraid of criticism and fearlessly explore their own creative capacity can truly be considered artists. And as we progress, more and more art forms are born thanks to the innovative imaginations of modern-day creatives. Just take for example Eden Kozokaro’s stunning pop culture tattoos. This Israel-born tattoo artist
Eden Kozokaro, more popularly known as Kozo became a worldwide sensation for his incredible pop culture designs. Colored tattoos are always visually more captivating, but Kozo takes it to an entirely different level. Kozo’s pop culture designs are so detailed and precise that it’s mind-boggling. The steady lines, gorgeous and smooth gradients of his micro tattoos give this surreal effect that makes you wonder if what you’re seeing is actually a tattoo. It’s so refined that they look more like those pretty water based temporary tattoos you slap on during festival season… but better.
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Kozo began doing tattoos when one of his skater friends let him try
Most of the time, people find their calling when they least expect it. This certainly rings true for Kozo, who started out after his friend let him try his hand at it. “One of my skater friends bought the cheapest machine we could find on eBay,” Kozo recounted in an interview. “He let me try it out and eventually, he became my first client.” It didn’t take long for the budding tattooist to seek out more opportunities to work on his craft. After all, practice makes perfect! To do this, he began offering free tattoos to everyone he knew. And the more tattoos he did, his skills got better and better, and his clients began spreading good word about Kozo’s tattoos.
You might think that tattoos are taboo in Kozo’s home country, Israel. But that is not the reality. Tattooing has proliferated in the country over the years, despite divided opinions and religious restrictions. Many Israelis have tattoos. Most get inked to show off their ethnic roots while others aim for artistic self-expression
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This is the very first tattoo Kozo ever shared on Instagram
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The talented tattooist applies his painting-like technique to his work
Kozo’s been painting since he was 8 years old, which explains his immense knowledge and refined style. So when his fascination with tattooing grew, he sought for a way to apply his painting knowledge. Now his art bleeds through a needle instead of a paint brush (he still paints sometimes). Since he now uses skin as his canvas, the possibilities are endless. But Kozo chooses to create micro tattoos instead of large ones so that he can render his work as precisely as possible. He also said that he prefers to do micro tattoos for people who can’t commit to a sleeve or bigger pieces of work.
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However, despite the cuteness of micro and minimalist tattoos
A lot of Kozo’s pop culture tattoos features a fusion of contemporary and fine art
Pop culture
Kozo is more than happy to help honor your love for pop culture characters and fine art. His wide range allows him to tattoo a portrait of Wall-E, Mike and Sully, and other 90’s
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These tattoos are anything but typical
For example, he made The Simpsons cross Abbey Road instead of The Beatles. He also paid tribute to Heath Ledger and Joaquin Pheonix, who are regarded to have done the best portrayals of The Joker by inking them side by side. But his most epic designs involve his masterful manipulations of masterpieces. Kozo made Mona Lisa melt, and he incorporated Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Almond Blossoms into the Self Portrait. But most arguably, the most tongue in cheek art history twist that Kozo’s probably done so far is his reimagination of Da Vinci’s Last Supper starring Spongebob Squarepants, Deadpool, Aang and Albert Einstein sat at the table! These quirky and clever micro tattoos are definitely something you’d be proud to show off!
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Celebrate your love for Japanese pop culture because Kozo loves it too
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He also draws inspiration from his travels
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Tattoo Artist Kozo has gone a long way from offering free tattoos
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These were Kozo’s exact words in his January interview with tattoo here
Source: Instagram