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Cat Tattoos May Be the Cutest Way to Break the Law in South Korea

The unfortunate truth is that cat lovers can't take their furry friends wherever they go. When they leave home, their favorite feline has to stay. There's one way to ease that separation, though, and it's by tattooing them on the body. Sol Tattoo in Seoul, South Korea permanently inks clients' skin with a portrait of their cat. That way, it's a little reminder of them forever.

The delicate tattoos have an incredible amount of detail considering their size. Through subtle shading, dots, and lines, Sol Tattoo is able to create fantastic, realistic-looking portraits that pay proper homage to the owners' cats. Some of the animals are even seen in their best attire.

The studio draws more than just cats, and their popular Instagram showcases a variety of tattoos. So, it might come as a surprise that this type of body art is actually illegal in South Korea. Inking, as it's called, is defined as a medical procedure by law. But according to The Wall Street Journal, there are thousands of underground parlors that exist in Seoul. More than a million people in South Korea are said to have tattoos. Celebrities and sports stars have popularized the industry, and so the country is considering legalizing the trade.

Sol Tattoo Instagram and Facebook
via [ The Huffington Post]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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