Bence Kormos

To me, tattooing is not simply an art form.

It is not a hobby, a lifestyle, or something I chose

because it seemed like a cool thing to do.

It is difficult to put into words exactly what I feel about tattooing because I have loved it for as long as I can remember. I discovered it somehow, somewhere, when I was only four or five years old. Even at that age, I was already telling people that one day I would tattoo.

My parents were understandably shocked. This was Hungary in the early 1990s, when tattoos were still relatively uncommon and often frowned upon. Tattooing existed on the outskirts of mainstream culture, and perhaps that was part of what fascinated me. I never felt particularly comfortable fitting into categories myself, and there was something about this strange, permanent and misunderstood craft that immediately captured me.

That fascination never went away.

To me, tattooing is the essence of life itself.

About fifteen years later, after my family had finally accepted that my obsession with tattooing wasn't going anywhere, they surprised me one Christmas with my first coil tattoo machine.

I will never forget the excitement I felt opening it.

By then, I already had plenty of tattoos of my own—collected everywhere from kitchens and living rooms to actual tattoo shops—but I had never tattooed anyone myself.

So naturally, I started with myself and a few of my bravest friends.

I had very little idea what I was doing, but I loved every second of it.

Eventually, I was given an opportunity to work at the only tattoo shop in my city. At the time, tattooing had not yet become the enormous industry it is today. Shops weren't on every corner, and entering the profession wasn't as simple as buying equipment and opening a studio. There was hierarchy, mystery and, admittedly, a slightly intimidating side to the culture.

I loved that too.

Being invited into that shop felt enormous. I learned everything I could, but after two years I was still hungry. I wanted to see how other artists worked, experience different approaches and understand tattooing beyond what I had learned in my hometown.

So I left.

Young man with piercings in lip and ear, wearing a camo baseball cap, with closed eyes, smiling softly, smoke visible in the background.

THE BEGINNING

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For roughly the next six years, I traveled throughout Europe, working guest spots and tattoo conventions in different countries.

I watched other tattooers constantly. Different artists. Different techniques. Different cultures and approaches to the craft. I absorbed as much as I possibly could.

There were plenty of ups and downs, but those years established who I became as a tattooer. They taught me that there is never a point where you know everything—and that if you're serious about this craft, you should never stop learning.

SIX YEARS

ON THE ROAD

A tattoo artist with tattoos on his neck and hands, wearing a black shirt, tattooing a client's leg in a tattoo studio with tattoo supplies on the counter.

NEW YORK

Around 2013, I made another move I had wanted to make for years: New York City.

The beginning was rough, to say the least. But New York is New York.

Over the years, I experienced nearly every side of the tattoo business—from gritty walk-in shops to high-end studios. Working in New York exposed me to an enormous variety of clients, artists, styles and ideas, and gave me a much deeper understanding of both the artistic and human sides of tattooing.

I spent more than a decade there before eventually deciding it was time for another chapter.

A person with numerous tattoos on their arms and face, wearing a black baseball cap and a white t-shirt with a graphic of a skull and the word "TERROR" printed on the back, leaning on a railing with a cityscape of high-rise buildings in the background.

To me, being a good tattoo artist means much more than being technically capable of executing a tattoo.

Of course, execution matters. But the tattoo begins long before the needle touches the skin.

It starts by listening.

Understanding the idea. Researching the subject. Drawing it once, twice, or twenty times if that's what it takes. Creating something that isn't simply a good-looking illustration, but a design that makes sense as a tattoo—something that works with the body, flows with its anatomy and is built to age well.

Then comes the tattoo itself.

And after that, the healing.

I believe an artist should care about that entire journey.

If you genuinely respect this craft, you cannot take any part of that process for granted. Every tattoo deserves your knowledge, creativity, experience and best effort.

That, to me, is what makes a tattooer an artist.

It is also why I prefer working primarily by appointment. I want enough time to research, draw and prepare each project properly. I don't want to rush the design because another client is waiting at the door.

I want both the person wearing the tattoo and myself to be proud of what we created together.

A tablet displaying a vibrant, traditional Japanese tattoo-style illustration of a heron, a koi fish, and floral elements on a wooden table, with a white stylus pen resting on the table.

MY APPROACH

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I have always been drawn to color—not only in tattooing, but in drawing, painting and art in general.

Because of that,

New School and Neo-Traditional tattooing came naturally to me.

They can be bold and expressive, elegant or strange, serious or humorous, dark or colorful. There is an enormous range within those styles, and that freedom gives me room to experiment while still creating tattoos that are strong, readable and built to last.

I don't want every tattoo to look the same.

I want every project to have its own personality while still carrying something recognizably mine.

Close-up of three colorful tattooed designs, with the central one being a portrait of a woman with dark hair, red eyes, and makeup, adorned with jewelry and decorative elements.

THE WORK

THE NEXT CHAPTER

After more than a decade in New York, I eventually felt ready to step away from the constant speed and chaos of the city.

I am currently based in Daytona Beach, Florida, where life moves at a different pace.

I'm a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and at a different point in my life. The quieter environment has given me more space to focus on the things that made me fall in love with tattooing in the first place:

drawing, creating, experimenting and working with people who genuinely value the process.

I still have plenty of ideas, plans and goals for wherever life takes me next.

But for now, I want to make good art, create tattoos I'm proud of, work with great people—

and enjoy the ride.

A man with tattoos, a white t-shirt, black shorts, and black sneakers sitting on a wooden bench, holding a small crocodile. He is smiling and wearing a backward black cap. Behind him, there's a colorful mural of a jungle scene with trees, water, and animals.

ABOUT