Interview with Bogdan Piwowarski
This month I sat down with our resident tattoo and piercing artist, Bogdan Piwowarski. Hailing all the way from Poland, Bogdan has been alongside Kevin the whole way during the 7th circle journey. With years of experience now tattooing and piercing he's an integral part of the running of the shop. Here is what he had to say about tattooing, piercing and how he got here.
1.How long have you been a tattoo artist and how did your tattoo artist journey begin?
It’s been over 6 years now since I received my tattoo license, but my love of tattooing began when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I remember being very amazed at how the pictures were stuck in the skin, I couldn’t believe it. Many years later I started collecting my own tattoos. I was lucky enough to be tattooed by an artist who saw my passion and was happy to share his knowledge. He really helped me out at the start and even though I lived in a different country we’ve been in contact constantly discussing how I could possibly become an artist myself one day.
My big break into tattooing came as a like destiny. I was walking down a street and a tattoo artist chased me down to ask me where I got my tattoos and who did them. The next thing I knew I was in his shop discussing a future tattooing and the next day I met Kevin. Fast forward a year or so and Kevin and I took over the studio and rebranded as 7th Circle tattoo & piercing.
2. Is there a particular style that you enjoy tattooing?
Tattooing is something that is different from a job. Some people say ‘this job, every day is different’. But it's often the same small jobs switching around and around. Tattooing and piercing yes, it is the same job everyday. But it's also not the same. New clients, new ideas, new art pieces, different styles, different approaches and different stories. Every day is a new challenge to tackle. For me I get to break up the tattooing with the piercing which I love as well so it works for me. I get bored doing the same things and the…variety definitely helps me.
3. When did you realise this was something you enjoyed?
I was hoping I will enjoy tattooing but you never know how it will feel until you actually start tattooing real skin. I did enjoy doing those first few free tattoos on friends and family but when I tattooed the first walk-in client and at the end of it I heard thank you it’s just what I wanted it made me feel really good about what we’re here to do apart from looking good and making cool tattoos. We are here to help people and when they are happy I can say I had a good day.
4. Your instagram shows a widespread of tattoo styles, would you consider yourself an all rounder?
Yes, and I still have unpublished photos of tattoos that I have done in other styles. I definitely should get them posted soon to show people more of what I can do but life as a tattoo artist can be quite hectic at times. I’d love to say that I was an all rounder but I believe there's so much to learn about tattooing and the traditional styles, the new styles and everything in between. Only once I mastered all the styles would I call myself a true all rounder but I do like to challenge myself and love to try new things so maybe one day I will be that.
5. I know you’re the resident piercing artist at 7th Circle and I’m gonna be getting a piercing survival guide from you soon but whilst we’re here, do you have any advice for people wanting to get piercing who might not have had them before?
Yes I have, please do take the time to do some research at home and if uncertain about anything please ask all the questions you might have before deciding on getting a piercing.
6. I actually spent a few years living in Poland and tattoos seemed a lot more culturally accepted? Do you think this is the case?
Nowadays yes, tattoos in Poland are much more popular amongst men and women, but when I was growing up that wasn't the case at all. Even when I started getting tattoos myself around 20 years ago I would still get weird looks from older people who considered tattoos as part of the prison culture. Poland has a very difficult time and history with self expression and conformity which ties back to the soviet period. Many people would try not to stand out to draw attention, the older generations remember this so for them seeing these kinds of behaviours can be confusing. However now, as with most things self expression has become much more acceptable and Poland as a country has very good artists and creative people so it makes sense that Poland is much more tattooed now.
7. Of all the tattoos you have done over your years, are there any pieces that stand out to you as memorable?
There’s many of them, from my first few free tattoos to my most recent tattoos, so I feel it wouldn't be fair to all my clients if I mentioned one or even a few that were more ‘stand out’ than others. Each piece I create I feel is special, special for me and special for my client. It's a piece of art that is made from two minds and each one of those is a stand out story for that person.
I do have a personal experience which may be a bit more suited for this question. After tattooing my own knee with a Viking compass, my brother asked me to tattoo the same symbol on his knee, so now we both have the same tattoo which makes it even more memorable given it was my first time tattooing my brother. This one is special but for my own reasons not because it was any more impressive than another piece. I think that's what tattooing is truly about, the importance and relevance to the person getting tattooed.
8. Are there any styles you’d like to work on in the future to include into your repertoire?
I have tried many styles but maybe not as much time as I would like to do on each style. American traditional I don't get to do much in our shop but this is something I might lean into in the future a bit more, maybe a 2026 challenge. Geometric and dot work is a style I have done in the past and I really enjoyed the whole process. Geometric takes a slightly different approach from traditional tattoos so doing this style can break up the same steps, makes it a bit more interesting.
9. I see you have a few tattoos? Do any of them hold more significance to you?
Yes I do, I'm not fully covered, like a full body suit but the majority of my body have been tattooed already. I’m running out of space for any big tattoos but I’m not a person who gets tattooed without it meaning something to me or being done at a special moment in my life to remind me of it. I know everyone has tattoos for different reasons, some people have joke tattoos, some people have cool tattoos just because they’re cool. Some people get tattoos because their favourite celebrities have it. I don’t judge people on how or why they get tattoos. But for me each tattoo is special, they are personal to me, every tattoo is significant.
10. Do you have any tattoo goals for the near future? What is the next step for you in your craft?
Absolutely, my next step is to take part in a tattoo convention, which I’ve kinda been avoiding recently for a few different reasons, some personal, some just getting in the way but I know that it's definitely a need to get out of the house kind of situation.
I’ve been down to many conventions with Kevin over the years and I know the scene very well now but I just need to commit myself to a booth and give myself a chance in the chaos. I don't know if I’ll do the competitions in the future, something I will see.
11. Last question, what is your favourite tattoo that you have on your body?
I have many to choose from as most of my body is tattooed with special pieces but I have a collection of three tattoos that are my favourites. I have three portraits of family members. I got these over a few years but adding these faces to my body helps me feel close to the people that are the most important to me.
