Solgrim: Intuition and Ink in Motion

South Korean tattoo artist Solgrim blends anatomy, calligraphy, and painterly intuition to create freehand tattoos that flow naturally with the human body.

In a tattoo world often defined by genre and technique, South Korean artist Sol (a.k.a Solgrim) stands apart. Born in Seoul in 1998, his approach to tattooing is rooted in deep artistic discipline—calligraphy, anatomy, and both Eastern and Western painting—blended through intuition and guided by each client’s unique body structure. Since beginning his professional tattoo journey in 2019, Solgrim has become known for his painterly, freehand black and grey tattoos that appear almost sculpted into the skin. As he transitions to a U.S.-based practice and expands his creative universe through his brand ivheim, we sat down with Sol to talk about form, flow, and the pursuit of multi-sensory artistry.

What did you feel the traditional academic art path lacked for your development as a tattoo artist?

There was very little time to actually try things in my own way. The pace and direction didn’t really match what I needed.

Your background includes calligraphy, anatomy, and both Eastern and Western painting. How do these disciplines come together in your tattoo work?

Since I’m drawing on a three-dimensional canvas, all those elements naturally blend—like the brushstrokes from East Asian painting, anatomical structure, and the rhythm of calligraphy. I don’t consciously try to mix them, but they come through because they’re ingrained in my mind.

You’ve said you tattoo by intuition. Can you describe how you read a person’s body before you begin?

At the beginning of the session, regardless of the size of the piece, I break down the body using a pen I use for freehand work—mapping along the muscle forms. Then I build visual balance from there. So rather than having a fully completed design beforehand, I often prepare parts and assemble them like a collage on the spot.

As you mentioned, you often work freehand directly on the skin. What do you gain creatively from this method over using stencils?

The biggest advantage is flexibility—I can respond in real time. Since the body isn’t a flat surface, the composition needs to adapt each time so it looks natural on the skin.

You use only black and white ink, yet your healed tattoos appear nuanced and layered. How do you achieve this visual depth?

One reason I use a hatching style is to calculate how much ink goes into each area. By intentionally layering at different densities, the healed tattoo shows the depth I intended during the process.

You mention Rembrandt as a key influence. What have you learned from his use of light and shadow that applies to your tattoos?

What people can generally learn from Rembrandt is close to the foundation of academic drawing, but he took it to an extreme. By observing how he understood light through real-life study, I saw how that kind of perception could be applied in my own way—combining it with what I’ve learned so far to add depth to my work.

Natural forms seem central to your aesthetic. What draws you to them over more graphic or artificial subjects?

Since I’m working on a curved canvas—the body—it makes sense to use organic shapes that blend naturally. If I were tattooing on a rigid surface, I’d probably lean more into artificial or geometric elements as well.

How has your tattoo style evolved since 2019, and what are you currently exploring or experimenting with?

In the beginning, I worked within my technical limits, focusing on bringing as much of my artistic balance and experience as I could. As my technique continues to develop, I’m naturally exploring richer expressions and more refined compositions.

You're building a creative brand, ivheim, across multiple disciplines. How does tattooing connect to the other senses and mediums you're working with?

Tattooing is the artistic foundation of both myself and my brand. My goal is to communicate a sense of feeling through my tattoos—without needing to explain with words—and then extend that into other sensory experiences like scent, space, or jewelry.

As you begin transitioning to a U.S.-based practice, what kind of audience or artistic environment are you hoping to engage with?

I’m hoping to work alongside some of the best tattoo artists in my field and be surrounded by people and culture that can offer new stimuli and opportunities as I grow both as an artist and through my brand.