Growing up in a conservative and traditional family, my parents have always viewed art as an unconventional or even risky career path.
When I was young I had always loved to draw the characters from comics, movies or games. At school teachers always caught me for doodling and drawing on textbooks instead of paying attention during classes, whenever I had spare time away from school I would be drawing and trying out different drawing mediums.
Because there weren’t smart phones or social media in the past drawing was something that came naturally to me, and a huge part of my childhood. Friends would soon start to ask me to draw on their skin and I was fascinated by how it could make someone feel unique and special.
Graduating from Nangyang Academy of Fine Arts in visual communication, it helped me create a solid foundation for exploring different genres of art.
I then got my first tattoo when I turned 18 and I had never stopped getting tattoos, exploring and travelling. I was enrolled into Naval Diving Unit, believing in the motto “the only easy day was yesterday”, a belief that I’m still holding on till today. I was dead set on signing on in the unit but then got an injury along the way and that’s when I decided to pursue my passion instead, a passion that was deemed “unorthodox” to my parents.
In the early 2000’s tattoos were such a taboo and stigma to many, tattooed people were frowned upon by society and authorities. But I had an entirely different perspective believing skin was a canvas that was meant to be beautified.
Tattooing was in no way an easy medium to master, I bought my first tattoo kit without any knowledge and trialed and error on myself and my friends. I have never looked backed since. To me tattooing is an art form that i’d never get bored off, the freedom to create and express yourself seems limitless to me.
I founded Visual Orgasm in 2005, and have been serving clients from all walks of life. Being featured in TV shows, medias, newspapers and magazines I am truly humbled to see the fruition of my passion today.
20 years on, I’ve traveled and attended multiple tattoo conventions around the world, met wonderful artists and clients that inspire me along the way. Truly a job that i would never trade off, they said that when you pursue your passion you will never have to work a day in your life, there is actually a lot of truth to that statement. So start believing, follow your heart and pursue your dreams cause life is too short and you never know when is your last ;).
-Joseph