Good Guy Feature: Joel Ang

If you look at the name and career Joel Ang built for himself, it's logical to ask what it takes to get there. For him, it's always been about the people in the craft. Everything else comes with it.

"You can't exist in isolation," he said. "This whole idea of being good to tattooing and tattooing will be good to you is a bit of a misnomer. Tattooing itself as an entity can't take care of you. It's built up by the people in tattooing. So the relationships you make with the people around you are incredibly important."

His journey is truly a testament to the outcomes of nurturing relationships, even those with the individuals he has idolized since the beginning of his career.

But rewinding to his teenage years, the path wasn't always so clear. Born and raised in Singapore, Joel's upbringing was shaped by a middle-class, conservative family in a religious household.

From a young age, he was strongly inclined to draw, often tracing images of dinosaurs from his favourite movies.

"I would see the making of Jurassic Park on the TV and record it, then pause it and try to trace the T-rex off the TV," he reminisces about the early days that ignited his passion for art.

When his parents asked him about his future aspirations when he was around five or six years old, his responses varied.

"Being a scientist or a doctor was probably the first response," Joel recalls. "A close second or third would have been an artist of some sort."

His artistic journey was solidified, but tattooing as a career was not something he initially considered. In Singapore, the craft was still largely taboo.

"It's not as bad as Japan, but for a time, it wasn't mainstream at all," he explains. "It was limited to the underworld, so to speak. You wouldn't see anyone around wearing tattoos that you could really claim were for the art."

Joel's exposure to tattoos came from watching wrestling as a child in the 90s and seeing soccer stars like David Beckham venture into the world of ink.

"To me, personally, it wasn't something that I saw and said, 'hey, I want to look like that,' that came quite a bit later," he says.

Although his initial impression of tattooing was negative, he recognized the allure surrounding tattoos' rebellious nature.

"My initial impression about tattooing was poor," he admits. "These kids were getting tattoos for all the reasons we don't want to be associated with now. But the taboo nature also made it cool."

Yet, at that point, getting a tattoo wasn't something he desired for himself. Everything shifted when a close friend arrived at school with a small cross outline tattooed on his back.

"That blew my mind. It was the very moment I kind of realized that this could be something that is accessible. It was the coolest thing. That's when I started to do my research. I wanted to get one."

By the time he turned 16, he had saved enough money to get his first tattoo—a small cross on his arm. Reflecting on the experience, he describes the rush he felt after the appointment.

"Being able to modify yourself, to feel like you had agency, it filled me with confidence," Joel shares. "It's a very powerful feeling to have when you're a teen. I have always kept that experience with me, especially when I'm giving someone their first tattoo. I let people know, 'Hey, this is about to happen. This is going to be so cool. It's a very pivotal moment in your life, getting your first tattoo done,' I try to share that magic with other people."

Joel became more involved as he continued exploring the culture of tattooing, but it would take him a bit longer to see it as a viable career path. While he never stopped drawing, his artwork during his teen years didn't stand out. After getting his first tattoo, though, his drawing style evolved.

This shift coincided with a growing disconnect between him and his academic path. As time passed, he began spending more time in tattoo shops, leading him to consider a more creative career.

Spending as much time as he did at the shop where he was getting tattooed as a teen, the artist who was constantly working on Joel asked him if the craft was something he'd consider taking on full-time.

Apprehensive but intrigued, Joel considered the idea.

"I was pretty hesitant. I gave him a 'maybe' sort of response," he recalls. "I remember him telling me, 'This is not a maybe thing; this is a do or do not; there is no try moment. If you're going to do this, you've gotta be all in.'"

This moment sparked a commitment in Joel. The tattoo artist suggested getting sleeves done below the elbow as a way to start his journey.

By this time, Joel had already amassed several tattoos, including two half sleeves, a chest panel, and a significant portion of his back. Yet, transitioning from being a client to becoming a tattoo artist felt monumental.

Joel's understanding of the tattoo community deepened as he navigated these changes. He began appreciating the artistry behind tattoos, moving beyond the stigma that once surrounded them. The way he viewed not only his body but the craft itself evolved, leading him toward a career he never expected to pursue.

Joe Wang, out of Singapore, was the first person to teach him about tattooing and the passion it takes to excel. For the first while, it was usual apprenticeship stuff. Cleaning, looking after customers and soaking in as much knowledge as possible. There was also a lot of homework, a crucial task for a budding tattooer. 

"It helped me a lot, having that direction," he said. "I was also motivated very early on to get into the Japanese style of work. I've always been drawing that on the side anyway."

Influences like Filip Leu impacted his artistic choices as he continued to grow. His mentor showed him a bootleg copy of Leu's book on dragons, which, according to Joel, was miles ahead of what anyone else was doing.

"To see that kind of work in front of you was fucking mind-blowing. I can't even describe it. Even now, it's still mind-numbingly good," he said. "That stuck with me. That's exactly what I wanted to do. I was just struck by the power of his work. He has been an influence from the start.

Seeing where tattooing could go artistically lit another fire under Joel. But before diving in, he had to complete an important task: the mandatory two years of military service all males had to do once they turned 18.

This didn't distract or deter him. It just meant he'd be working 24/7 for a while.

"I'd be working seven days a week. Five days in the army, then when I had time off on the weekends, I'd be at the shop."

After completing his two years in the military, around 2010, he was introduced to the broader tattoo community as he started travelling to Europe for conventions.

His travels also coincided with Instagram's explosion, making it easier for him to showcase his work and meet artists from around the world.

"It was great. You'd find out about all of these tattooers who had been around a lot longer than I have," he said. "You could communicate with all of the people you saw in magazines. Then, at conventions, you could actually go up to them and talk to them. That came at a really good time for me."

For Joel, Europe was eye-opening. There were some good artists in Singapore, but it was a completely different level in Europe. He also had the bonus of making way more money than he was used to making at home.

Yeah, it made sense financially, but there were also all the key moments he remembered and realized he had learned something new. Every time Joel came home from a trip, he'd notice he was getting a little bit better.

"I was constantly chasing that," he said. 

It ultimately led him to work with and get tattooed by Leu, a man he has always found inspiring. Building relationships with Leu and many other legendary tattooers is a testament to Joel's determination and constant desire to surround himself with people he can learn from. 

"You have this impression of how people work that is purely imaginary. You come to these things where it's like, 'he does this because of X, Y, or Z, or this is how he must have done this to get there," he said. "Getting tattooed by him, you realize the sheer amount of effort he puts into his pieces. You then realize the reason he works so quick is because the prep work is so insane."

Lessons like these have helped Joel become who he is today. The proud new owner of the legendary Dynamic Tattoo, formerly owned by tattooing great Trevor McStay, still has the drive to soak up as much knowledge as he can, even after nearly two decades.

Speaking to him about what it means to carry the torch of such a famed shop, Joel is quick to show his gratitude toward Trevor and the stresses that come with being passed the proverbial torch.

"It's a big challenge to take on," he said. "I respect the legacy so much. I'm afraid of dropping the ball. The ship has been sailing so well for such a long time, I don't want to be the one to crash it."

Although there's pressure, Joel sees it as another opportunity to grow.

" I see this challenge both as an avenue for personal growth and as a form of positive pressure that I'd like to use to improve myself as an artist."

Through dedication and hard work, Joel found his place within tattooing. A mixture of his passion for art, the thrill of self-expression, and the community's acceptance propelled him forward. His journey from a curious boy tracing outlines on his bedroom floor to a tattoo artist confident in his craft marks a significant transformation.

Now, Joel celebrates his love for art and shares that passion with others.

Joel's path may have taken various turns, but each step brought him closer to his true calling—one where art and ink intertwine, creating lasting connections with those who sit in his chair and the others in the craft who constantly strive to be the best they can be.

"It still hasn't dulled for me," he said. "There were maybe one or two points I felt I was burning out, but I've never got to that point. I still love it. I still get so much pleasure out of doing it."

To stay up to date and to check out more of Joel's work, follow him on Instagram.