MORETHANINKANDLOCS – Funfere Koroye

The third episode of #MORETHANINKANDLOCS features Funfere Koroye. Funfere Koroye is an experienced Industrial Designer and Product Developer.

Funfere is calm as he tells the story behind his tattoos and their meanings. The most famous being that on his right arm – the mask of the Benin Empire which is still being held by the British. To Funfere, his tattoos are “sort of like a bit of education.”

Despite not having any bad reactions, Funfere has bad experiences especially with “people not taking him seriously during job interviews or pitching work to clients. Because in the mind of Nigerians especially our elders, someone with tattoos somehow would mess up their project or not do the work well.”

About society’s view on tattoos, Funfere says “I never really understood how ink on my skin stops me from being who I am. I mean I am a hardware designer, it’s like the work is on the computer, it’s not happening on the surface of my skin.” But he was ready to be denied opportunities, and it was their loss.

Sharing his opinion on the bias towards tattoos, Funfere says “if you don’t want to work with me based on how I look, or if you don’t want to work with me based on how I dress, then the problem is with you, not me.”

Funfere is #MORETHANINKANDLOCS, and this video shows why