Noqta Tattoos • KULA Berlin

“Tattoos don’t always have to tell stories – and yet they are part of the story of every person who wears them on their skin for a lifetime. “

Hey Çağdaş
we are completely in love with your tattoo work and we are happy that you are spending time with us today.

Raki or beer?
Raki

Bosporus or Spree?
Bosphorus

Pberg or Cihangir?
Çağdaş says Pberg and Filiz, his love and the women behind, loves Cihangir!

Çağdaş, you are coming from Istanbul and work in Berlin. What was your motivation for coming to Germany?
I wanted to try something new and meet new people. I’m always looking for new inspiration. Of course, the political and economic situation in Turkey also played a significant role in my decision…

What is the difference between your work in Istanbul and Germany?
In Germany, everything is very regulated and clocked. Punctuality!

What would you like to integrate in Germany from Turkey?
Sometimes I would like to see a warmer and more friendly atmosphere in Germany.

How did you start? Who inspired you?
I was already fascinated by tattooing as a teenager and built my own tattoo machine when I was 14. Tattooing has appear as my dream job. In the beginning, I got my inspiration in Turkey, especially on social media. Back then, tattooing wasn’t as popular as it is now, and it wasn’t easy to learn from others. I also find inspiration in nature and architecture. I’m fascinated by repetitive shapes, like the ones we often find on ceramics or buildings in Turkey. At the moment I find the works of Bintt and Raimundo_ramirez fascinating.

What technique do you use?
Mainly dotwork. This is where you stitch a lot of dots into the skin without making a line.

Why did you decide to make permanent physical art?
I like to leave a permanent mark on people’s bodies and help my clients feel good about themselves. I think tattoos can often give you more self-confidence, you create your own individual piece of art.

Day or night? When are you most creative?
Day

Trend differences in German and Turkish?In Turkey, Pinterest is still very popular when it comes to choosing motifs. Individual designs, on the other hand, are already a standard practice in Germany.

Are there any differences between customers in Germany and Turkey?
What I really like about my customers in Germany is that they appreciate my art and treat the craft of tattooing with great respect.

What could be done a better in Germany for the creative scene?
I think that there is a place for everyone and that people in the creative scene should support each other.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing as a tattoo artist?
If you make a mistake on the skin, it stays forever. That means you really have to work with full concentration all the time. Also, of course, you have to be meticulous about sterile equipment. I think also that is important to like direct contact with customer. You meet new people every day and you have to adapt to them and make them feel comfortable and safe.

What would you recommend to aspiring tattoo artists?
Definitely practice drawing a lot beforehand. Take a drawing class, try new things. Pre-draw your motifs on paper before tattooing.

How does the tattoo process work?
If someone would like a tattoo from me, the best thing to do is fill out the request in our website.
Interested people can answer all questions regarding the desired motif, placement, size, etc. People can also send me reference pictures of what they like. Then I will give them a rough estimate of the tattoo price and time needed.

Then I start to work with people ideas and design different models and make sketches. Often I sit on the tattoo requests until late in the evening, because I always want to develop the best possible and a very individual design. So it happens sometimes that I let everything stand and lie and devote myself only in drawing. At the appointment time, I will discuss my design proposals with the client and we will take enough time to design the motif that it is perfect for them. I want my customers to be absolutely sure that they have chosen the right motif and the right placement and I am always grateful for how much trust my customers have placed in me. I just want to give something back.

How do you spend your days off?
With my wife. Gladly in nature, or at “Plantbase” in Berlin 😉

What would surprise people who just met you?
I grew up in the so-called Gecekondu in Istanbul and shared a room with my two sisters. We had almost nothing as a family and I didn’t have a rosy future ahead of me – even professionally. Nevertheless, I managed to teach myself how to tattoo in night shifts, while working all the time and later studying.

How do you define success?
Being happy

What should people be more aware of?
That not everyone has the same prerequisites and the same doors are not open to everyone.

How can the world be a better place?
If people listen better and empathize with each other.

What social changes are important?
After moving to Germany, I encountered racism myself in some places. I very much hope that the shift to the right in Germany does not spread and that civil society does its best to counter it. Don’t look away.

What are your visions for the future?
Together with my wife Filiz, we are constantly working on new ideas and hope that we can realize our visions together in the future. We would like to create a place where art of all kinds finds a place. Exhibitions with artists who are otherwise not seen or heard by society. To offer marginalized people a platform. Apart from tattooing, we would like to create a space for exchange, for encounters.