Çağdaş (Dotwork, Geometry)
Cagdas became fascinated by tattoo art when he was still in his teens and constructed his first tattoo machine at 14. Later on, he turned his passion into a profession and ran a successful studio in Cihangir, a vibrant neighbourhood in central Istanbul. Since 2020 he mainly practises his art in Germany. He specialises in geometrical patterns, mandalas and ornaments in dotwork style. In his own words: „Tattoos don’t necessarily have to tell a story – but they are part of the story of the person who carries them on their skin for their entire life.”
Filiz (Hand Poke)
Filiz, half German half Turkish, studied Middle Eastern Studies and Art History in Freiburg before she moved to Turkey and became involved with Istanbul’s art scene. During this time, she also set up a successful tattoo studio with her husband Cagdas. She practises a technique called hand poke, meaning that she tattoos without a machine. Her tattoos have thin lines and soft shading.
Hand Poke is a sensitive and meaningful way of decorating the body. The connection with the client is highly important to her. Filiz also offers hand poke workshops. If you are interested in learning hand poking, please contact liz.handpokez@gmail.com.