We recently connected with Bicem Sinik and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bicem thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Coming from a very artistically talented family (my mother and father are art teachers; my sister is a painter; as well as both my aunt and grandmother!) has enabled me to draw since before I could read. My belief that one should remain unique with whatever work they produce – without ever copying others – serves as inspiration for those around me who may get inspired by me in turn.
Everyone expected me to become an art teacher, as I always had a passion for creating and designing. Working with art and design agencies taught me how to use design programs, but it made me limited in terms of my design skills. When I discovered tattooing, it became my priority to open up my own studio; one that would create an even better and more significant tattoo and art gallery in Brooklyn, New York. Bicem Sinik Tattoo Studio will have both resident and guest tattoo artists from around the world with a focus on teaching tattooing and design to aspiring artists. In addition to offering tattoos, the studio will also double as an art gallery featuring a rotating collection of different local New York City artists. Initially. I plan on exhibiting some of my existing work which is inspired by the city along with some custom designs of mine that have been used for tattoos over time. This space will serve as not only a place where people can come get tattoos but also provide somewhere they can purchase jewelry designed by myself using inspiration from both tattoo pieces I’ve designed alongside artwork created during past exhibitions/shows.
Basically, I really want to create a design space where all the artists can get inspired, share their works, and have a place where I can teach how to tattoo or design for those who want to be tattoo artists.

Bicem, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I graduated from a Fine Arts High School and University, completing a total of 8 years of undergraduate studies in the Department of Fine Arts Education. After graduating, I worked as an art/design director for 8 years at agencies. This work helped me to learn how to illustrate and discover my own style. In 2011, I started tattooing out of curiosity, using different materials and canvases for my artworks. Initially, I was only tattooing my designs to my friends as gifts, but it quickly became my priority. Even with my first tattoo, I was determined to be unique, and this carried over to the photos I shared on my social media. I always looked for an esthetic way to brand myself. People soon noticed, and I became one of the first Turkish tattoo artists to be shared on social media platforms such as Bored Panda and 9GAG. Early on in my career,
I won the best black and gray tattoo in 3rd and 4th place at the Istanbul and Marmaris Tattoo Convention, and I also served on the jury for their events.
I collaborated with well-known brands as a tattoo artist. I had tattoo workshops with the Adidas Future House project and worked with Samsung Turkey to create tattoo designs with their first pen cell phone, which allowed users to design tattoos on their phones. I was featured in their commercial demonstrating how to create a tattoo design using a Samsung cell phone. I was also featured in The New York Times “America’s 36 Hours” television program in the Istanbul episode. During their visit, I tattooed the host of the show, Kristen Kish – an American chef renowned for winning season ten of Top Chef.
I have been featured on Voice of America’s Plus90 Artist Story platform, where we had the opportunity to shoot an interview while I was tattooing.
I am also honored to be among the top 25 Tattoo Artists in the world, and my work is even included in Geek INK: The World’s Smartest Tattoos for Rebels, Nerds, Scientists & Intellectuals book!
I have had numerous exhibitions over the past 4 years, both with other tattoo artists and self-organized tattoo design exhibitions in New York and Turkey. To create unique artwork, I use a variety of canvases such as soft wood with burning style techniques and also use actual tattoo machines and ink on canvas.
I specialize in crafting custom tattoos for my clients. Each design I make is original, as I never retattoo the same piece twice. Through conversation and collaboration with each customer, I bring their story to life through a unique combination of detail, imagination, and my signature tattooing style.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I first started tattooing, I fell in love with it. Not only was I designing and performing tattoos full-time, but also showcasing my creations on Instagram almost every day. Through this outlet, I could share the passion that went into each design concept – something which hadn’t been seen before. It was really rewarding to be a pioneer in what I wanted to do! As an artist/designer coming from a branding background, it felt great creating my logo and sharing awesome photos/designs through social media for people to see. Whenever someone saw something that came from me they knew immediately who created or posted it! Within those years, I taught many people how to tattoo and design. They saw me as their idol, so I showed them my methods of creating art but also encouraged them to find their own unique style. In order to be noticed and remembered by people, you must make an impression.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

When I began tattooing, there weren’t as many artists as there are now. As a female artist, it was something special and I didn’t have the classic image of a heavily-tattooed artist. I wasn’t interested in getting tattoos – my focus was on giving my clients stories to tell with their ink. I became well known in Turkey quickly but achieving global recognition came through sharing my work through social media platforms – this gave me more responsibility to create even better and more unique designs!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bicem-sinik.tumblr.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bicemsinik/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bicem.sinik/
• Other: https://bicem-sinik.tumblr.com/ https://www.pinterest.com/bicemsinik/