Alican Gorgu (AKA PigmentNinja) is a Turkish tattoo artist who transforms his clients into walking photo albums. Using old family photos for guidance, the Istanbul-based artist tattoos people with whatever childhood memories they want to be immortalized on their bodies using his own distinct style, which he refers to as "Retro Minimal."

"I majored in photography at college," he wrote on Bored Panda. "I could only stand the profession my diploma enabled me to do for three months. I was a shop assistant at the first tattoo studio where I worked for three years. But I also needed to earn a living. I was either going to get a 9-5 or dedicate myself to tattoo designs and execution.

"I made a connection between my college degree and what I wanted to do. I drew the poster shots of a lot of movies I liked – which got a lot of traction – and managed to transfer them onto people’s skins. I improved on my original tattoo ideas and started working with souvenir photos people took. It’s an indescribable feeling to tattoo the awkward family photos taken in different parts of the world at different times. For example, I have tattooed a family portrait taken in Mexico in the ‘60s as well as one of a family in the US in the ‘80s. I work with small spaces and minimize details, keeping the essentials, to transfer these memories on to the skin."

Check out some of his best family tattoos works below, and don't forget to vote for your favorite. You can also find Alican on Instagram, where he has almost 40k followers.

More info: Instagram

#1

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

#PugLife
Community Member
5 years ago

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Some facial features would be good.

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#3

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Krista Leary
Community Member
5 years ago

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WTF...Mickey Mouse gets eye but the kids don't?

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#4

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Krista Leary
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"And this is a tattoo representation of that time little Mary got eaten by a shark".

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#5

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Etienne Pisano
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Further up, angry, as usual, "La Linea" by Osvaldo Cavandoli, great italian cartoonist !!

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#6

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Krista Leary
Community Member
5 years ago

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A little shading for her friend of color maybe?

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#7

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Diana Damin
Community Member
5 years ago

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Oddly, the tattoo bears semblence to 2 of the many faceless refugee women escaping the war with their babies.

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#8

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Krista Leary
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of these things is not like the other....

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#9

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

PyroarRanger
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like the touch of the raindrops in the picture!

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#13

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Blue Hippo
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know this tree...it's got a hint of the 80's. Eeeeeeeee😂

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#14

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

#16

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

Krista Leary
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

okay - this one is kinda cute but only because it has a doggo in it.

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#17

Photo Tattoo

Alican Gorgu Report

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