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Aside from being one of the most easygoing and approachable artists at The Raven & The Wolves (and the whole tattoo industry), Andrew Kim is also one of the fastest-rising stars.
Despite having spent over a decade working in the industry — a journey that began with him finding his first shop on Craigslist after getting tattooed and majoring in art at CSU Fullerton — it’s only in the last few that he’s really come into his own as a part of the top tier of Southern California’s tattoo artists.
“I’ve always loved drawing and art — realism specifically — but I originally wanted to work in film as an illustrator,” Kim said. “What led me to tattooing was getting a tattoo myself, and I always say that it motivated me in the weirdest way, because my artist was at least an hour late to every single one of our appointments. I was like ‘Man, this guy just does whatever he wants!’ I don't do that to my clients, but there was something about the fact that he had this freedom and bravado that spoke to me.”
After beginning his career at an unremarkable street shop when he was young and eager to get into tattooing any way he could, Kim began growing his career in San Diego before moving up to Long Beach. Having thrown himself “into the lion’s den” of the tattoo world (hence his Instagram handle of @lionsdenart), he became not just proficient, but comfortable and inspired by tattooing in all styles. While he currently focuses on black and gray realism, Kim still respects and appreciates many styles of tattooing, from Japanese to neotraditional.
“I don't have this arrogance when it comes to black and gray realism,” he said. “I love it, but it's not this end-all-be-all style. I just happen to enjoy it more than some of the others.”
As a staple of TR&TW’s team since 2021, Kim has seen his black and gray skills skyrocket over the last few years from the shop’s artistically educational environment. Not only has his tattooing improved leaps and bounds, but he’s also learned to paint as a fine artist through the studio’s art shows and painting classes. With the direction of Carlos Torres and the healthy competition and camaraderie of the other artists around him, he’s left the street shop life behind and developed his own twist on the art form that’s taken him to conventions around the world and landed on some of tattooing’s biggest stages.
Outside of tattooing, Kim has also begun his fighting career as an amateur kickboxer and is passionate about both martial arts and his responsibilities as the “funcle” for his nephews. And while the family side of his life is certainly important, it’s the personal responsibility and individuality that he really appreciates in both his career and his favorite hobby.
“Martial arts and tattooing are both very individual sports in a sense,” Kim said. “Even though we work in a shop together, we're not doing collabs every day. It's all on us to get better individually, and it's all about working smarter — not necessarily harder — and wanting to improve. Tattooing is much easier because you're not getting punched in the face, but it’s still pretty sink or swim. You have no one else to blame except yourself if you don’t succeed, and I like that aspect. Of course, you have your team supporting you, but it's ultimately up to you to improve and put all that you practiced into action.”