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About · Tattoo Artist

Ahmet Özaydın

BORZTattoo Artist · Color realism & neotraditional · Seattle

I’m a Turkish-born tattoo artist working in Seattle. I started out with graffiti, trained in fine art, and today I create award-winning color realism and neotraditional tattoos.

Read my story
Portrait of Ahmet Özaydın, the tattoo artist known as BORZ, in a sage-green T-shirt against a dark background
Ahmet Özaydın Seattle
01My storyAnkara — Seattle

From city walls to skin.

Ahmet Özaydın tattooing a client’s forearm in black gloves, under a studio light
BORZ At work

I was born in 1992 in Ankara, Turkey’s capital. My artistic journey started early, and it started on walls, with graffiti.

From 2010 to 2015 I studied Art Education at Gazi University in Ankara, training in painting, composition, color theory and traditional fine-art techniques. Between 2012 and 2015 I also worked on illustration and animation for “Pırıl”, an animated project produced for TRT Çocuk, the children’s channel of Turkey’s national public broadcaster. It was my first real lesson in visual storytelling.

Painting taught me to see light. Tattooing taught me to build it on skin.

In 2015 I began tattooing professionally and refined my craft in tattoo studios in Turkey. From 2020 to 2024 I ran my own studio, which gave me the freedom to follow my own artistic direction.

In December 2024 I moved to the United States to take my career international, and I’ve been working in Seattle ever since. My work has earned seven awards at US tattoo arts festivals, three of them first places, and it has been featured in the tattoo publications Tattoo Magazin and Skin Artists Tattoo Magazine.

What drives me now is simple: pushing color realism further, both technically and aesthetically.

02Manifesto

Manifesto

For me, each tattoo is an original artwork, designed in dialogue with the human body. I read the light, the anatomy and the way skin moves, then compose the piece around them: color, contrast and depth working together, so the image feels alive on the person who wears it.

03My journey1992 — today

  1. From Ankara to Seattle.

    Scroll to travel through the years.

  2. 1992: Born in Ankara

    I was born in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, and found art early: on walls, with graffiti.

  3. 2010: Gazi University

    Art Education at Gazi University (2010–2015): painting, composition, color theory and traditional fine-art techniques.

  4. 2012: “Pırıl” for TRT Çocuk

    Illustration and animation for “Pırıl”, an animated project produced for TRT Çocuk (2012–2015). My first lessons in visual storytelling.

  5. 2015: Tattooing, professionally

    I began my professional tattoo career and refined my craft in tattoo studios in Turkey.

  6. 2020: My own studio

    Running my own studio (2020–2024) gave me the freedom to pursue independent artistic work.

  7. 2024: Hello, Seattle

    In December I moved to the United States to take my career international, and made Seattle my base.

  8. 2025: First US award

    2nd place in the Hand and Neck category at the Tampa Tattoo Arts Festival.

  9. 2026: Chicago & Cleveland

    Six awards at the Chicago and Cleveland Tattoo Arts Festivals, three of them first places.

  10. Today: Working in Seattle

    Working from Seattle, focused on pushing the technical and aesthetic possibilities of color realism.

04My approach4 principles

Four principles, one signature.

Light and color

I build every piece the way a painter builds a canvas: light first, then color. Color realism lives or dies by how light moves across a form.

Contrast and depth

Contrast gives a tattoo its punch; depth gives it life. I plan values carefully so the image reads clearly from across the room and still rewards a closer look.

Designed for the body

Each tattoo is an original artwork designed in dialogue with the human body. Anatomy, placement and movement shape the composition from the very first sketch.

Rooted in classical painting

My foundation is fine art. Classical painting and traditional oil-painting techniques, together with contemporary visual culture, shape how I compose, light and finish every piece.

05In numbers2015 — today

The story so far, in numbers.

  • 11+years tattooing
  • 7competition awards
  • 3first places
  • 2tattoo publications
06Awards2025–2026

Seven awards, three first places.

Since moving to the US, I’ve brought my work to the competition floor at tattoo arts festivals. Here is every award so far, newest first.

  • 3 × 1st Place
  • 3 × 2nd Place
  • 1 × 3rd Place
Little Liberty: a neotraditional calf tattoo of a girl dressed as the Statue of Liberty, with two golden skull trophies on the floor beside it
Little Liberty First-place trophies, Cleveland 2026 See more of my work
2026

Chicago, IL 2 awards

Chicago Tattoo Arts Festival 2026

  1. 2nd Place: Tattoo of the Day, Color (Sunday)
  2. 3rd Place: Medium Color
2026

Cleveland, OH 4 awards

Cleveland Tattoo Arts Festival 2026

  1. 1st Place: Tattoo of the Day, Black & Gray (Friday)
  2. 2nd Place: Tattoo of the Day, Color (Sunday)
  3. 1st Place: Male Medium Color
  4. 1st Place: Large Color
2025

Tampa, FL 1 award

Tampa Tattoo Arts Festival 2025

  1. 2nd Place: Hand and Neck
07Press & partnersPrint · Sponsorship

In print, and in good company.

My work has been featured in tattoo publications, and I’m a sponsored artist with EMALLA, an international tattoo equipment brand.

  • Featured in: Tattoo Magazin — Tattoo publication
  • Featured in: Skin Artists Tattoo Magazine — Tattoo publication
  • Sponsored artist: EMALLA — International tattoo equipment brand
08Studio standardsEvery session

Safety, before the first line.

A great tattoo starts with a safe session. These are the standards I follow with every client, every time.

BORZ tattooing a client’s arm with black gloves and a barrier-wrapped machine under a warm work lamp
Gloves, barrier film, fresh setup — every session.

Single-use needles & cartridges

Every needle and cartridge is new, comes sealed and is used for one client only, then disposed of safely.

Sterile, single-use supplies

Gloves, ink caps and everything that touches the tattoo are single-use and opened fresh for your session.

Barrier protection

Machines, cords, bottles and work surfaces are covered with disposable barrier film.

Disinfected between clients

Every surface is cleaned and disinfected before and after each session.

Aftercare guidance

You leave with clear aftercare instructions, and you can text me with any questions while it heals.

Pushing color realism further, one piece at a time.

Ahmet Özaydın smiling and looking down Ahmet Özaydın BORZ · Tattoo Artist · Seattle

Booking

Have an idea? Let’s make it original.

Tell me about the piece you have in mind: the subject, the placement and the size. I’ll get back to you and we’ll find a date.

Or text me at +1 (206) 496-⁠5993

Book a session