Who is Dickfish?

Tuyen Tran has one of the most distinct tattoo styles in Australia at the moment but you probably know his work under a different name. Dickfish.
But his work is deeper than just dicks and fish. With a background in visual arts and a love for all things tattooing Tuyen is a skilled artist who loves realism and Japanese oriental tattoos.
We sat down and asked a few questions about his journey, how he got his distinct style and how his niche has taken over the tattoo scene.

Who are you and where do you work?  I’m Tuyen Tran, also known as Dickfish to most and I work out of N2N Tattoo, Melbourne

What is your tattoo style?  I’m known for Dickfish mainly, but do a lot of Japanese/ Oriental work and black and grey realism. I do everything!

How would you describe your style to someone who's never seen your work?  Most simple way is to show them my work, they expect something much more gross when I describe it to them. Or think I’m crazy.

How did you get into tattooing? Tell us about your journey.  Originally I wanted to be an animator when I left school, then went to Uni to do a bachelor of Visual Arts. Got handed a tattoo machine to try, fell in love with the process and got a tattoo apprenticeship in my last year of uni. Completed both and the rest was history.

Before you became known for dickfish, what style of work did you tattoo?  I started my apprenticeship in a heavy walk in shop 2012. So, I did pretty much anything that walked through the doors. I do love my oriental bold work; in the area I was working black and grey realism was very popular so did spend my first 4-5years mainly doing that. Once Dickfish started, everyone forgot I did anything else but dicks.

Can you walk us through the moment the dickfish concept first came to life?  One evening like any other prepping for a tattoo convention. 2016 I’m painting flash with a joint and Superbad playing. Got inspired by one of the characters drawing dicks and I turned a few of my fish into dicks as a joke. Never thinking I’d even tattoo one and ended up tattooing 3 out of 5 at my first expo with them. Got known as that guy quick.

Are there specific art influences or tattoo styles that inspire you?  What drew you to your style?  Heavily influenced by traditional Japanese and Chinese paintings, America traditional and graphics and comics. Just bold lines and bright colours.
My style would be a mix and match of everything over the years; I was making sculptures and painting before I became a tattooist. 

Do you prefer to freehand or stencil?  Freehand any day!! I try to freehand everything I can from Japanese to some realism.

Do you have any issues with social media shadow banning your work (due to the content and having the word "dick" in your name?)  I don’t use TikTok due to getting banned in the first 10mins of setting up an account for the name. Been kicked off Instagram a few times now. Pretty sure I’m still shadowed banned but comes with the territory of drawing dicks.

Do clients usually come to you with a concept, or do they want your full creative direction?  Most of the time they have a rough idea based off some flash they’ve seen of mine. While setting up and me having ciggies we’d chat and get a vibe and add extras to personalize them. The rest it’s a collector piece so there a few classics. And some people let me go nuts!!

Has your choice of equipment evolved much over the years?  Why or why not?  I still use my trusty coils I’ve had since 2014, I travel a lot so do end up using the Bishop Wands on the road for convenience. Not much has changed, been using the same inks for the last 11years and heals up good. So don’t change what’s not broke.

Do you experiment with different needle configurations or do you stick to a trusted setup?  I’ve got different set ups for different styles hence have a collection of coils to cartridge machine. Been lucky to try out so many over the years, but do have my trusted groupings.

Tell us about your daily set up and must haves in your station (ink brands, cartridges, etc.)  Not sponsored but most of my stuff comes from MTS, fusion and solid inks, MTS Summit needles. Good quality supplies. 

What challenges did you face when first establishing your unique voice as an artist?Wouldn’t say there was any challenges, I treat tattooing like art it’s a self-expression so fuck what anyone else says unless you’re chasing money then you need to kiss some asses.

What kind of reactions do you typically get when they first see your portfolio?  I like to think my Dickfish are subtle and classy, so it draws people in and usually need a second or third take to click on. Then they either love it or hate it.

What’s the most unexpected request you’ve ever received?  It was more the client; I didn’t expect them to get the tattoo when they showed up.
Well dress office lady, ended up getting a bloody dick tampon tattoo.

Where do you see your style heading in the next 3 to 5 years?  Still do the same things but do it better. My style hasn’t changed much other than evolve.

What advice would you give to artists looking to build a bold, unmistakable niche?Don’t chase niches, art is self-expression. Do what you love and do it good. Draw a lot and draw everything in every style, study, get tattooed and just get amongst it and you’ll find your character and style in the tattoo world.

What keeps you creatively fueled?   Like any artist we have our moments. Never try to force it, but when you’re feeling like it draw and just run with it 'til you had enough. And my art makes a lot of people happy which makes me happy.

Any upcoming projects or collabs you’re hyped about?  Potentially a coil machine collab in near future, bunch of art projects. Few collabs to happen. Hyped for too much at the moment