Ozan Bağcık

Hi, I'm Ozan Bağcık. I have been tattooing professionally for more than 18 years. That is easy to say, but it means I have spent more than half my life in this craft. Over that time I have met many different people, worked in different places, done countless tattoos and, perhaps most importantly, never stopped learning.

Over the years I had the chance to work in many different techniques and styles. In time I realised that the style I enjoy most is Black & Grey, and it is still the style I love working in today.

Of course, doing the same work for more than 18 years does not mean I know everything. Quite the opposite: the longer I do this, the better I understand how vast this world is. Techniques change, equipment improves, new artists and new perspectives keep appearing. Through all of it, I keep learning, experimenting and pushing myself.

Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to attend tattoo conventions in cities across Europe. They let me meet artists from all over the world, study their work up close and gain experience with different techniques. Discovering new perspectives, sharing experience and seeing this craft through other artists' eyes has contributed a great deal to my growth. For me, one of the most valuable things about these gatherings is being reminded, every time, how wide the boundaries of tattoo art really are.

I have founded and run several studios in Istanbul and Marmaris. One of them is Bamboo Ink Tattoo Studio, which I opened in Marmaris in 2018 and which is still running today. Beyond tattooing itself, running a studio, sharing a space with different artists and building a team have taught me a lot. Over time, it became important to me not only what I do, but also the environment I do it in and the people I do it with.

Today I am at Inkpeople, where all of these experiences come together. In this studio, which I founded with my close friend Barış, we are trying to create the working environment we had dreamed of for a long time: a place where different styles, ideas and people come together, and where sharing, learning from each other and creating together matter more than competition.

After all these years, still being able to get excited about every new project means a lot to me. Because one of the things I love most about this craft is that no matter how long I have been doing it, there is always something new to discover.