Tattoos, Assimilation, and South Korean Identity

Visual art is the preferred medium of Nabi, an Asian-American tattoo artist originally from South Korea. Painting in watercolor or acrylic and making ceramics are some of the ways Nabi communicates with others. Nabi’s first home was Westchester, but she later moved to Buffalo following college. 

At the age of 15, Nabi first moved to the United States, and, like most immigrants, was unfamiliar with the English language. She expressed that, “the most difficult thing [at the time] was not having a clue [as to] what was going on”. But eventually, she got better at the language, and felt more connected to her new environment. One change Nabi had to adapt to was getting out of school earlier than when she was in South Korea. There, students stay as late as 10 or 11 o’clock at night.

Enamored by body modification, Nabi decided to become a tattoo artist. 

From a young age, Nabi had a love of art. Her mother kept an open mind and embraced her daughter’s desire to become a tattoo artist. Her reasoning behind choosing this particular career came from the added perk that her artwork would be gone immediately following the client’s departure. This way she could make art and others could live with the art she created. In South Korean culture, tattoos’ and the artists who create them are not highly regarded, but Nabi sees this as a stigma many present artists are trying to change . Her own mother has an open mind and has embraced her daughter’s desire to become a tattoo artist. In this way, Nabi’s family is one example of South Korean acceptance and curiosity towards tattooing. 

In May, Nabi holds a flash sale for Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. A flash sale is when a tattoo artist's pre-drawn designs are available to be purchased. Nabi uses the money she makes to give back to the community by donating the funds to a local Asian cause. 

Nabi would like young immigrants like herself to know they don’t have to change who they are just because they feel like they don’t fit in. Staying true to who you are and not giving into peer pressure will help you develop your sense of self. Staying in touch with your culture and resisting complete assimilation is crucial to emotional wellbeing. Incorporating multiple cultures into one is the ideology of the United States after all.

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Nabi is a South Korean tattoo artist who focuses on breaking the stigma of tattooing and giving back to her community through art.