He works at Bang Bang Tattoos in New Yok and his geometric is often combined with graphics and patterns related to the people who will wear his work. Such as the numerical sequence underlying one of the graphic tattoos that intrigued us most and which we asked him about when we met for this interview, getting to know his personality and creative work better.
Let us introduce you to Koray Ozsoy, Turkish by birth and now permanently based in New York, in whose tattoos there are references, thoughts and original creative achievements translated into lines, dots and delicate geometric designs that perhaps also have that oriental flavour reminiscent of his roots.
Hi Koray welcome to Tattoo Life, where are you from and where do you currently work?
Hi everyone, first of all thanx for having me. I am Turkish and based in New York City, working at Bang Bang Tattoos.
How did you become a professional tattooer, what is your background?
My path was all over the places since I was a kid, because of that this question has very long answer, but I will try to keep it short. I did so many different jobs in early ages. First breaking moment was moving to Istanbul for my education. I graduated from Communication Sciences. After studying five years, I only work for one day on what I had study.
After that, thru friend I start to work for tattoo supply company in Istanbul. After a few months I remember that I was very good student at art classes at the school but I had never invest time on it beside of my classes. I start to design and draw after work at the supply company. At the time artists was using coil machines mostly. And I had to learn everything about them because I was selling it.
Once I saw that my designs were getting attention and I already knew craft, so I just put them together and start my journey.
Your tattoos seem to have meanings that are very related to the person who wears them. For example the tattoo with the continuous sequence of numbers. What does it mean? I guess this kind of work requires a lot of concentration on your part, right? Can you give me examples of other interesting tattoos like that?
Beautiful question. I try to give my best to everything I do, and tattooing taught me to concentrate on one thing for long hours, my goal is turn this concentration to solid skill and apply everything I do.
I think most important thing about the tattoo process finding the right concept for the right person.
This is what make difference. Rest is easier for me. Learning how to apply ink to skin can be done way faster but you need to be more complex to create that unique look or concept. This will take way more longer time. That particular tattoo related to my clients mom and his grandma’s birthday.
He was from Kosova and mom and grandma has the same birthday. So he wanna to do something around it. He also mention that he loves geometric patterns. I love everything has mystery and it’s fun to create mystery too. I think we had achieve that on this one. We put his moms and grandma ages together which is 136. And we repeat the date 136 times lol
Other example would be my own tattoo, I also tattooed this concept on other people as well. I have 7 layer of duo numbers on my right bicep and people asking me quite often to learn meaning of it. These numbers are time signature of music theory. Every song or melody we hear is sits on one of this time signature.
Top number is how many beats in each bar and bottom number is what type of beats they are. And my jam is electronic music and electronic music sits on 4/4 time signature because of that 4/4 marked on my tattoo. This is one of my fav tattoo that I have and I had tattoo this concept on some of my other musician friends.
Do you refer to any particular cultural tradition in your drawings? What are your origins?
Yes and no. In early of my career I did so much geometry and geometric patterns. As a Turkish person we grow up seeing geometric patterns and shapes everywhere so its easy to get inspire by that. I love seeing complete result of this tattoos but from the artist perspective execution is truly boring.
At least this is how I felt. So I become super open with the content and I start to work a lot thru pictures.
Sometimes picture that I found online or picture that I captured with my own camera. It’s a lot of fun in this way. I have to tell you this tho I really want to learn traditional Turkish calligraphy art and bring them into my design process. It would be great.
How did you get to Bang Bang?
First time ever I get in Bang Bang was together with my friend and one of my fav artist Okan Uckun. I was only tattooing for one year and I was not on that level as an artist yet but I came in to help my friend and translate for him lol in my culture you do anything for your friend and this was win\win case. This was second breaking moment in my career. Because I get to see how this job actually getting done on highest level. How much work they put into their tattoos and all the other details about the process.
I got inspired and decide to get better at tattooing, I saw how far you can go as a tattoo artist. Bang told me that he will hire me if I become better tattoo artist. I have to mention that meeting with Oscar Akermo was every important in my career. We become best friends in no time and I learn so much from him. Maybe not particularly being a tattoo artist but being a complete artist. Because of him I was in Bang Bang environment regularly. After a while I went back to Istanbul and apply everything I learn into my tattoos. I got official job offer from Bang Bang after a few months. And here I am.
Do you have an artistic background?
As I mention before, I was good at art classes at the school but I could call myself more athlete than artist in younger ages. As a kid coming from Turkey, nice weather and football is so much deep into culture, of course I spent all day everyday outside playing football. I couldn’t sit at home and draw. But I become more artistic after I moved to Istabul. And I build my artistic background in Istanbul first half of my 20s.
You’ve just got back from the convention in Philadelphia. How was it and what are your next destinations? Where do you like to go?
I heard so much of the Philly show before but this was my first time in Philly. And it’s a giant show. Super busy. Good place to see friends from the industry. I was excited to attend the show as a judge at some contest and do some tattoos at HustIe Butter booth.
I am always traveling, makes me happy so I always have some trips coming up.
My next trip will be to Asia in May. I will be tattooing for the show in Hong Kong and Bali. I had been both places 5 times before but its been awhile since my last trip so I am very excited to go back to Asia. And for the summer time, I will be mostly in Mediterranean and EU area. That’s where I like to spent my summer time.
Anything you hope to be able to do or achieve in the next months?
Yes, of course. Some people already know my passion to music and I hope I will release some of my own music in this year but I will wait until the right time that I had good way to bring my tattoos and my music together. Its my main goal to achieve at this point of my career. I have some ideas already but I am still working on it.
Beside them I have been working on some jewelry as well. We have great craft mans in Turkey so working with them from New York takes time and I wanna to see everything done in right way. Hopefully they will be ready soon. I believe everything has to happened on the right time because of that I am not in rush on anything.
