Today we’d like to introduce you to Kijung Park.
Hi Kijung, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Kijung Park, although most people know me as “Baki”. I am currently proud to be part of the Oyabun Tattoo Shop family in San Diego, where I have been fortunate enough to continue growing as a tattoo artist while surrounding myself with talented artists and great people.
I was born in South Korea, and I have been tattooing for approximately 20 years. I moved to San Diego almost three years ago now, and since then, I have been able to build a new chapter of my life and career in an environment that has been incredibly inspiring.
When I first started tattooing, the journey was not easy. In the beginning, I had very few clients, which is natural for someone starting a career in tattooing. During that time, I worked with many different people and took on a variety of projects as I tried to establish myself as an artist and make a living through tattooing. It was during this period that I became deeply fascinated by Japanese tattooing. The strength of its imagery, composition, symbolism, and the way an entire body can be transformed into one cohesive piece of artwork had a profound impact on me.
That fascination eventually became a direction, and Japanese tattooing has remained the foundation of my work ever since. Over the past 20 years, I have continued studying and developing my own interpretation of the Japanese tattoo tradition. For me, it is not simply about reproducing traditional imagery. It is about understanding the history, structure, movement, and visual language behind the style, and continuing to develop it through my own perspective as an artist.
Moving to San Diego has given me a completely new perspective on my career. I have met so many wonderful people here and have been fortunate to work in an environment surrounded by great artists, supportive clients, beautiful weather, and a community that allows me to continue doing what I love.
After 20 years of tattooing, I still feel grateful every time I sit down with a client and begin creating something together. Tattooing has been a challenging journey at times, but it has also given me an incredible life. Now that it has almost been three years since I moved to San Diego, I feel even more settled and inspired in this new chapter. Today, I am simply grateful to continue learning, creating, and living my life as a tattoo artist here in San Diego.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I started tattooing, tattooing was still illegal in Korea. It remained illegal until a few years before I came here, but I’ve heard from the news and friends in Korea that tattooing was legalized there last year. I really hope this leads to positive changes for tattoo artists and the industry.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
One thing that sets my work apart from other artists is my approach to reinterpreting almost any subject through the language of Japanese tattooing. I enjoy taking ideas that may not traditionally be associated with Japanese tattooing and finding a way to transform them into something that feels natural within the style.
Of course, creating a visually impressive tattoo is important, but I also believe a tattoo should have a sense of character and personality. For me, making a tattoo fun and interesting, rather than simply making it look cool, is one of the things that distinguishes my work from others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oyabuntattoo.com
- Instagram: @baki_ots
