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[title]Stepping into Mofo Tattoo feels like opening a time capsule that belonged to a trinket-hoarding, toy figure-collecting, cartoon-loving child of the early 90s. Wallpaper reminiscent of The Shining’s hotel carpet is the backdrop for a pair of golden dragon and phoenix with glowing eyes that’s more commonly seen in Chinese wedding banquet halls. Most other surfaces in the reception room are lined with figurines big and small – Ultraman, Teletubbies, monsters, Power Rangers, Michael Jackson, sinister Furbies, Troll dolls, the Dalai Lama, a set of naked bodies with singular boobs for heads – like some sort of fever dream. Nostalgic memorabilia is dotted everywhere, like a rotary phone, a sage green mini fridge, and an orange orb that turned out to be a static-y TV set. The overall effect of this maximalist vintage decorating is hallucinatory and almost slightly schizophrenic.
“There used to be a life-sized E.T. as well, but it’s been sold now,” comments Karl Hung, the founder and owner of Mofo Tattoo. We comment that dusting all those figurines must be a pain in the ass, and Karl readily agrees, but this is the kind of interior design he likes – chaotic, nostalgic, and distinctly Hong Kong. It was also the style in Mofo’s old Tsim Sha Tsui location, before adopting a vastly different look in Causeway Bay that was all cement hues, curved lines, and bright windows.
Mofo has recently relocated to Jordan, in a tenement building along a street that sells jadeware. To honour their more traditionally Chinese surroundings, Karl decided to turn the Hong Kong aesthetics back up to max. Taps Chung, Karl’s long-time friend and a Mofo tattoo artist, pops into the conversation, “I daresay there aren’t many tattoo studios like us who would spend so much money on interior design. We want our spaces to be special.” And special, it definitely is.
Though this studio is visually very Hong Kong, they’ve made it a point to break free from some of the more old-fashioned aspects of the industry. Tattoo parlours used to operate on a traditional master-disciple system, with newcomers assisting artists and learning over their shoulders. Taps explains, “The student had to be very respectful. They’d set everything up for their master, hand them tools and equipment – it was one step away from also wiping the sweat off their brow, really.”
But while Karl does take on apprentices, the hierarchy isn’t as strict in Mofo. A friendly atmosphere in this workplace is more important. “We don’t want people ordering others around just because they rank higher,” Taps emphasises. Some Mofo apprentices have since gone on to open their own studios elsewhere.
With 10 permanent artists, not including apprentices, Mofo’s team is considered big in Hong Kong’s industry. They all produce distinct styles – from brush calligraphy style and absurdist cartoons to Karl’s bright colourwork and Taps’ black-and-grey fine lines – in a deliberate move to collect art styles under one roof. Hong Kong-style tattoos always bring to mind motifs like dragons and tigers – the kind you might see on a triad member or in a John Woo film. But even after being trained in the old methods, Karl doesn’t like traditional Hong Kong tattoos much. “The so-called ‘gangster vibe’ tattoo is a bit too sparse for my taste. I started learning precisely because I didn’t think the common style then was very nice.”
A visual arts graduate, Karl worked in advertising for a while before realising he wanted something more. After seeing a tattoo design while doom scrolling, the then-20-year-old decided to take a shot. Taps, who Karl already knew through mutual friends, ended up learning from him too, and has been with Mofo since it was founded around 11 years ago.
Learning how to tattoo isn’t difficult; it’s staying in this career that’s difficult.
When we met them, Taps was just fresh back in town from Amsterdam, where she was doing her first guest shift. Now and then, tattoo artists would ask to be hosted at studios abroad for short periods, where they can meet peers and learn new techniques. Everyone agrees it’s a massive perk of the job. “Sometimes, it’s just a case of wanting to visit a place and doing guesting almost as an excuse to actually go there and work at the same time,” Karl laughs.
As much as constantly travelling for work and not having defined hours or bureaucratic red tape to deal with sounds like great fun, being a tattoo artist presents its own challenges. Tattoos are really more of a luxury than a necessity, so there are always lulls in this career. “When you don’t have a lot of work, you’ll start to desperately doubt yourself, questioning whether your art is good enough, if people hate your work,” Karl reflects. “Learning how to tattoo isn’t difficult; it’s staying in this career that’s difficult.”
In the end, it comes down to perseverance and the right attitude. Even with 10 years of experience, Taps is still looking for ways to evolve. “There’s so much to learn [...] and even if you’ve been tattooing for ages, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are good.” Karl gamely expands on her statement, “There are tattoo artists who really love what they do, and then there are artists who do it as a job. If you’re just in it for money, you’re never going to improve much.”
There’s also having to grapple with how conservative Chinese society still tends to lump tattoos and delinquents together, like you can’t possibly have one without being the other. Some older people might blithely say tattoos are art and of course it’s fine to have them, but to Karl, these are just superficial remarks with no substance. “They don’t even really want to understand or engage in this art. In other countries, there are people of all ages who are willing to learn and participate in this culture. Hong Kong is not there yet,” he notes matter-of-factly.
Changing societal views is certainly not something one or two tattoo studios can achieve by themselves, but Taps is less bothered about convincing people on home turf to embrace her chosen art form. “They’re never going to want to get tattooed anyway! What’s more important is that we’re connecting with the younger generation and giving them better information and knowledge.”
Instead, promoting the work of Hong Kong tattoo artists to an already welcoming global community is a better use of efforts. Taps enthuses, “We really want other countries to understand what Hong Kong tattoo art is about. At conventions, I always say I’m from Hong Kong and introduce our tattoo styles. I want people to know Hong Kong also has very decent tattoo artists. We might be small and finance-focused, but we have a good arts scene too!”
Now that Mofo has more room to breathe, they’ll likely be hosting more events like they used to, such as exhibitions, markets, and flash days. Karl is also mulling over launching more physical products bearing designs from Mofo’s artists. “A tattoo artist shouldn’t just do tattooing; we need to be thinking like artists. Tattoos are just one of the ways we can use to express ourselves,” he nods sagely. We love to see creativity and innovation. If nothing else, Karl, Taps, and the Mofo team have already made an indelible ink mark on Hong Kong’s tattoo scene.