Meet King Kalypso | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with King Kalypso and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi King, why did you pursue a creative career?
Even when it was uncertain, I knew I would become an artist someday. Growing up I loved to draw but was encouraged to go into the medical field, so I went to university for Biochemistry. However, each passing day was a reminder that I wasn’t passionate about medicine, and the feeling grew stronger that I was truly passionate about art. I made the decision to leave school a couple years in to find what it meant to be an artist, and I feel so lucky that after years of feeling lost, I found tattooing and it has changed my life. To love art and be surrounded by others who love it just as much is truly a blessing, and my job is to adorn clients with personal, permanent works of art. It’s better than I could have dreamed! I can truly say pursuing a creative career has been the most fulfilling decision of my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I struggled for a few years after leaving university working various customer service jobs (pharmacy technician, warehouse assistance, serving, etc.) and was unsure of the trajectory of my life. I am fortunate that during my lowest points, I was getting tattooed and got to meet the incredible inspirations that painted potential for my life. I realized the power of tattoos, and wanted to grant people that same self love that tattoos gave me, and since then I have pursued this path and am now a graduated tattoo artist. Through my apprenticeship, I learned to build my first coil machine, to translate my style into designs that can go on skin, to paint properly with ink and gouache, the value of connecting with other artists, even lessons on how to be a better person. I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is that to make change, you have to be the one to take the first step, you can’t wait for the ‘perfect time’, the ‘perfect circumstances,’ or someone to tell you what to do. And the second is to stay true to yourself because I believe the value in art comes from its authenticity, and there is so much art that I love purely because you can see the artist through the piece. I hope one day I will make pieces that make others feel that way.
My main style is blackwork, the flow and contrast of a beautiful dark tattoo is my favorite! I love learning to incorporate skills I learn from traditional drawing and painting into my tattoo work, and in the future I am excited to translate my love for emotional dark fantasy and video games into my tattoos too. I would love to tattoo all over the world someday!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love to eat, so going to a plethora of delicious restaurants is a must! My favorite restaurant in Colorado is Domo in Denver, it is a Japanese restaurant with authentic food, a working dojo, and a Japanese garden in the back. Every dish is stunning and affordable, I recommend the curry or sukiyaki udon with a cup of ginger tea. I love living in Aurora because it is truly the hub of ethnic food, especially Asian food. Old Town Hot Pot, KPot, Thank Sool, Funny Plus, and Tofu Story are some of my few preferred places, and some are open until 2am. I would take them to Snowl for a cute matcha taiyaki ice cream and tteokboki. My favorite boba place called Tiger Sugar is in Aurora as well and will be a must stop!
Other than food and cafes, I think hiking and camping is a wonderful way to spend time together and enjoy the warming weather. A Red Rocks concert, a show downtown, a picnic in City Park or Cheesman Park, or a stroll in Golden would be wonderful too.
Although, to be honest, my vision of the best time ever includes a day in playing video games, making food, and enjoying each other’s company.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mentor, JD Pruitt. Without him, I would have never been able to experience the depth of community and love that is Lumenati Tattoo (and the rest of the tattoo community), and similarly, he is responsible for so much artistic love and connection in Denver. He is truly an inspiration! He’s always believed in me and guided me, and I am grateful that he’s not only my mentor, but my friend.

Website: https://kingkalypso.com

Instagram: @king.kalypso

Image Credits
first photo (of putting on tattoo stencil) is by Tan Boe