Originally from Bilbao, Koldo came from graffiti before starting to tattoo a dozen years ago. Today, he is looking for the perfect synthesis between Japanese and tribal tattooing, simplicity and efficiency.
How did you start tattooing?
My name is Koldo, I'm 36 years old and I come from a small town near Bilbao, Portugal. I have been tattooing for 12 years and before that I was totally immersed in graffiti. At that time I was very active in the scene and started to get to know the work of different tattoo artists, most of them belonging to the new school and the European illustrative scene. When I was 18, I went to Madrid to get a tattoo by Jee Sayalero. I had always wanted to tattoo, but I had great respect for him and I didn't decide to do it until I was 23 years old. I was unlucky enough not to be able to get into any studios as an apprentice, so I owe it all to my friends who trusted me blindly.
Did you draw before you got a tattoo or did you come because you wanted to tattoo?
I've been drawing all my life. I come from a family of artists so we always lived it naturally at home. The first memories I have are of copying Dragon Ball Z comics (nowadays I don't like comics anymore). Later, as a teenager, I was very inspired by skateboarding and surfing clothing brands, whose designs I still think are amazing. These are the first memories I have of my interest in drawing.
Did you study graphic design?
I started to study Fine Arts at university, but I dropped out in the second year. I started with a lot of enthusiasm, but I was very disappointed. The only positive thing I got out of it was the friendships I made. Everything I know I have gained by sharing it with the people I have met over the years.
What guided your decision to work exclusively in black?
I started working in new-school. But one day I realised that my work was getting away from me and my energy. I needed to get back to simplicity, to power, and the best way to do that was to use black. In my opinion, it is the noblest pigment to work on the human body and to make the most visually powerful compositions. No nonsense, just black.
Tribal art is obviously one of your main influences, how long have you been interested in it?
I've always been interested in tribal art, but in recent years I've tried to study it and understand it more. If you want to offer good work, the hours of drawing are as important as the hours of study. In my opinion, tribal art is the ultimate expression of tattooing. I think it is the style that best understands and works with the human body itself.
Is there a particular culture that interests you and why?
I don't have a preference. I like to study here and there, depending on the season. Lately, I am very interested in the textile patterns of the Ainu people, from the island of Japan, for example. My plan for the next few years is to travel so that I can study on site and create a vast archive of information from all over the world.
When did the Japanese influence start and why?
The Japanese influence started when I was doing new-school, but I was just using the concepts and folklore to create different themes, I wasn't focusing on any visual elements. It was when I started working with black on a large scale that I used the knowledge I had to delve into the great masters of ukiyo-e. Not a day goes by that I don't consume some Japanese art, I consider it the basis of my work.
You started out more figurative, when did you change to what you do today?
At the moment I am focusing on composition and harmony with the human body. The most important thing is to get a clean design with little visual information for a greater impact. I work almost all free hand and free style. I work on the principle that there should be fluidity and that the human figure should be emphasised. The most important element in my work is the human body, much more than the tattoo itself. A tattoo that is technically wrong is of no value to me. For this I have to get away from figurative art and if I use it, I try to abstract it as much as possible with the scales of the body itself.
Tribal art and tribal tattooing like to play with the positive and the negative on the skin, how do you address these points in your designs?
I like to work with large blocks of black, so most of my designs are negative, which allows me to work with much more weight and solidity.
Ancient Japanese tattooing, as seen in the 19th or early 20th century, somehow brought together the tribal and the figurative. Are these important influences for you?
For me, these are the most important influences. The structure of my work is totally influenced by tribal tattooing, although I do it using the language of Japanese tattooing, well, more of an interpretation of the language of Japanese tattooing. So the union between tribal tattooing and figurative tattooing are clearly important influences for me, in fact I could say they are the axis of my work.
Today, what are your objectives from an artistic point of view? To achieve the perfect synthesis between simplicity and elegance?
I could say that for me the most important thing is to offer a visually clean work with a lot of strength. To be able to create a great impact with as little information as possible. My goal would be to synthesize my own style and escape the latest trends, which is sometimes complicated given the large amount of visual information we consume every day.
Do you prefer small, medium or large works?
I am not very interested in the technical aspects or the subjects, all my energy is concentrated on the work of the compositions, without which the work I propose today would lack value. A serious and committed client is also essential for this type of work. These are long-term projects, which involve a lot of pain and effort, and therefore require a lot of perseverance and tenacity. Fortunately, I have great clients who have total confidence in my work. + IG : @koldonovella
