Karel "Charlie" Doležal
I have always enjoyed creating and learning new things and approaches. Whether it was art, music, sports or foreign languages and cultures. So art and creative work have become an integral part of my life.
As a kid I was restless (I liked to run/climb wherever I could and couldn't), then I started learning martial arts, which made me gravitate towards Asian cultures. From a young age, I loved to draw (and it was the only way to stay still for a while) and was fascinated by the art of the "ancient" East, its Philosophy and traditions.
I am inspired to create traditional Asian ink paintings, Ukiyo-e woodcuts and the traditional Japanese style of tattooing ~ Irezumi ~ which I have always found interesting and unique in many aspects.
I developed an interest in tattooing early on. Always wanting to "have something too", I began to search for answers to the question : "How do Tattoos actually come about?". So at the turn of 2008/2009 my journey to become a Tattooer began, or From sewing needle | through home machine | to work with a "proper" tattoo machine.
I was interested in the history and origins of this art (i.e. studying different cultures with different approaches and practices in tattooing).
My first client was myself for a long time, so I tried to learn the basic principles of tattooing as safely and as simply as possible - i.e. by working Handpoke.
After some time of "handpoke" and discovering other ways of tattooing, I discovered the traditional hand technique ~Tebori in connection with Irezumi.
I have been actively involved in Tebori for several years and it seems to me that Irezumi has not caught on in the Czech environment as it has in foreign countries and there is no one here who seriously studies it and creates it as it deserves to be created and presented - in its full beauty.
Tebori and Irezumi have always gone hand in hand (Tebori - the technique - had to be suited to precise tattooing; Irezumi - the tattoo - had to be designed to work on the body, to work with its anatomy and to be tattooable at all) and the fact that one can conjure precise, detailed, colourful drawings of monumental proportions under the skin. . and with just a few needles on a piece of bamboo and patience... I was fascinated from the first moment.
Gradually I wanted to continue expanding my knowledge, so I built my first machine from a motorbike and only after some time I got a "real" tattoo machine.
I like to combine the modern machine and the traditional Tebori when creating tattoos - each of these techniques has its advantages (e.g. Tebori has fuller colours, the machine has more precise lines).
I studied Graphic Design at the Secondary School of Art (SUŠ Ostrava) - majoring in Classical and Computer Graphics - and during my studies it became almost my "dreamjob", my life goal.
Tattooing has gained a special, essential place in my life. Even though it's been 10 years (since 2009) there is still a lot to learn - which is my endless motivation.
The quality, safety and cleanliness of the work is important to me, not least the client's positive experience and subsequent coexistence with the tattoo. I want the client and I to create a collaborative piece of work that we can both be proud of for the rest of our lives. That is why I take for granted a proper consultation and reflection or planning. In this way we discuss thoughts or ideas with the client and give them Form, Order and last but not least Meaning.
Having studied Graphic Design I am close to drawing, ink painting and graphic principles (e.g. Linocut, Woodcut, Screen Printing..). I care about the quality and originality of the motifs. I like to work with traditional and non-traditional concepts and I am not afraid to experiment. :)
GRAPHICS:
Participation in graphic competitions while studying at the Secondary Art School - poster design, creative packaging design, Graphic sheets (linocut)..
Graphic design of the visual design of the Teahouse/Pipe Club in Ostrava.
Design and graphic design of T-shirts and textile prints (Screen printing)