Alex Wang
Tattoos aren’t just for triad members anymore. Tattoo artist Alex Wang talks to Crystal Lee about weird tats and what his family thinks.
HK Magazine: How did you start doing tattoos?
Alex Wang: In Hong Kong, if you only draw, it’s almost impossible to make a living. To me, tattoo art and art are practically the same, so I decided to try it. I started inking tattoos around four years ago, after studying design and illustration. It’s very difficult to find someone to teach you how to do tattoos in Hong Kong, so I traveled to Ireland to ask a tattoo artist to be my mentor.
HK: What kinds of tattoos do you do?
AW: All of my favorite artists make very realistic art using a rough, brushstroke style. To imitate that painting effect when doing tattoos, I continuously mix different colors to create depth in the artwork.
HK: What’s popular right now?
AW: In Hong Kong, people go for colorful, cartoon-like designs. But foreigners seem to look for various styles to express what they want. I’d say 70 or 80 percent of my clients are from abroad; a lot of them fly to Hong Kong just to get their tattoos.
HK: What’s the weirdest tattoo you’ve ever done?
AW: Once, I tattooed a smiley face on a client’s knee. He was a foreigner who was on vacation, and just spontaneously decided to get a tattoo. It didn’t have any special meaning; he just thought it would be funny because a smiley face is round, and his knee is round.