Dan Kovář

About Dan

Draftsman and illustrator, tattoo artist,
a person with his hands in the material.

My name is Dan Kovář (DanKo). I've been tattooing for over 18 years and drawing for about as long as I can remember.

I studied at a secondary art school in Jihlava and then studied illustration at the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Plzeň. School gave me the foundation, the rest came from hours and hours of work — and they're still coming. I enjoy it as much as I did at the start, maybe more. I like trying new techniques and materials, and sometimes I end up going in a completely different direction than I planned. That's what I like best about it.

Tattooing has taught me a lot too — over 18 years of working on skin has taught me precision, patience and respect for detail. To me, tattooing is just as valid a form of art as painting, just a different medium. I think the two influence and enrich each other quite a bit.

I paint in acrylic on canvas, from smaller pieces to larger formats. Figurative motifs blend with abstraction, and sometimes something more surreal. Alongside paintings, I shape and carve sculptures, masks and figurines — it's simply another way of expressing the same thing.

My studio is in Chrudim, and my work can also be seen at the Skin and Story tattoo studio in Pardubice. If something catches your eye, get in touch — I'll show you the pieces in person, they have a slightly different presence in real life than in a photo.