Check Out Daniel Matsumoto’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Matsumoto.

Hi Daniel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Personally I’ve always been drawn to express myself through art, since early I was messing around with Music, video and design/drawing. In my teenage years I was in hardcore bands, composing, singing, writing, making some projects with video but not necessarily with tattoo. I started flirting with the idea of tattooing when I was on my early 20s while in college for a philosophy BA. There were two factors that pulled me into it, first being the fact that art was one of my favorite classes growing up, maybe because it would let me express myself in means that language couldn’t… It felt easier for me. Second, I used to be in a hardcore band and inserted in that hardcore/punk rock scene back home. Tattooing back then was kinda unreachable for the majority of people and it was less comercial than it is nowadays. This was around 2012, before instagram became the huge thing that is today and before it ruined the tattoo industry. (Haha) I had no idea at all about what tattooing was other than feeling like it was a part of the culture I was inserted in. I had no plan in mind and I wanted to do a style that was not common back where I lived. I ended up getting an apprenticeship at a shop but it didn’t go really well because it was a very commercial shop and they wanted me to start working as a “professional” tattoo artist after 3 months. I had no idea or knowledge to consider myself a tattoo artist, I felt insecure and eventually ended up leaving that shop. After that I was tattooing at my place for a while (some friends), and eventually got a proper shop to work after a year practicing. From there I was immersed in tattooing, even though back then I still didn’t have an idea of what tattooing really was, I mean, I was tattooing clients but for one to be considered a tattoo artist, takes more than just tattooing people. Same thing as an photographer, its not because you have an iPhone with a good enough camera and take pictures that you’re automatically a photographer, right? That’s who I was. Until I started traveling around the world and tattooing in different countries, gathered experience from different artists, then finally I was able to have an idea of what tattooing really meant.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not smooth but definitely intense. I obviously heard a lot of shit from other artists back then and honestly I can understand why. There is a reason to why access to tattoo equipment and knowledge should be kept away from any institutionalized entities. It’s not something that can be learnt recklessly without guidance or in a period of months. At the same time honestly I do understand that the way the tattoo culture was so gatekept“ back then pushed me or other artists to learn tattooing completely unaware of the “correct”method, as in going though a traditional apprenticeship. It was just not welcoming and I do think it’s still not super welcoming compared to other cultures.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I mainly work with tattoos, but I also paint canvases with mixed techniques and I make electronic experimental music. I think what sets apart is the use of mixed media in my projects, many being inspired by the other, like music and design, having a correlation between different platforms and being able to express myself using different layers of art. I am mostly known originally for my minimalist and geometric designs, but in the recent years I could say I am mostly recognized by the versatility to execute different tattoo styles with competence and also being able to bring a solid tattoo foundation to most ambitious and contemporary designs. Also incorporating tattoo elements into my paintings that are pretty much a decntrsuction of the uptight process of both tattooing and designing flashes that resonates within the traditional tattooing metrics. I am currently working on a project that blends music production with painting, as well as working with different brands and bringing a bit of my own deconstructed tattoo designs to life though clothing etc.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve had some people throughout my career help me open my eyes and get out of my comfort zone. I am happy to be recognized by artist that I look up to, as I mentioned, I like producing electronic music, not really professionally but I could say I am an enthusiast. That said, I have tattooed some of artists that I look up to within the music industry, including some names like Mall Grab, Effy, Clouds and JSTR. Those were definitely huge acthievements for me personally, and something that I would say was possible because I’ve been tattooing in LA for the past few years. That really did insitigate me into working harder on my design language both as a tattooist, artist and enthusiast musician.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omze__
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djturvo
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lSVK9SIrhy3VIFVOZFBuI?si=D6-DzI14Snmqtwo0ogoOnw