Tattoo enthusiasts, art lovers, and body modification experts, you won’t want to miss this!
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) is proud to present their newest exhibition Tender Touch, which presents an examination of tattooing as an art practice.
The opening day event is on Saturday, November 25th at 10 a.m. and will give audiences the chance to watch two of the six featured tattoo artists practice their work within the gallery space.
Not only that, but each art piece featured within the exhibition is exclusively created, designed, and displayed for this specific occasion and is meant to challenge tattoo stigma and explore what it means to create a safe tattooing space.
In an interview with Victoria Buzz, Mel Granley, AGGV Assistant Curator and organizer of Tender Touch, shared her inspiration and desire to really highlight the positive shifts in the industry.
“I’m a bit of a tattoo enthusiast myself and I’ve gotten all of my tattoos done in Victoria,” Granley said.
“Through getting them over the years, I’ve noticed a big shift in the tattoo scene…the tattoo community has really burst and a lot more people, particularly queer and BIPOC artists, are stepping into those roles and opening their own shops.”
She highlighted the significance of this burst, and what it means for a more inclusive and trusting industry from a variety of people—which is what Tender Touch is all about.
In Granley’s own personal experience, she mentioned circumstances in which she felt uncomfortable around certain artists that showed no regard for her thoughts or well-being during such a vulnerable moment, often from older men.
“Tattooing is a really intimate process—you’re being wounded, it hurts. So, it’s nice to be around someone that understands that and understands that you’re trusting them with your body…to know that your artist understands the gravity of that and cares is really important.”
So, Granley selected six artists—all within different phases of their careers—that have stood out to her within the community, and all six represent what it means to have a safe, consensual space where every guest is treated with respect.
Granley would have loved to include more, but she’s thrilled to have them represent a small fraction of the diversity and variety of style in such a booming and vibrant industry.
A lot of them are individuals she received a tattoo from, and had the chance to chat with them about their tattoo process while being tattooed.
Others joining her for the exhibition are artists she found through extensive research—focusing primarily on how they talked about tattooing.
The two artists that will be tattooing within the gallery on opening day are Simran Dhaliwal with their tattooing pen and Mina Malahah Raposo, who will be tattooing using the hand poking technique.
They will be tattooing pre-selected individuals starting at 11 a.m. and running until 4 p.m.
“I’m hoping [Tender Touch] continues to destigmatize tattoos for people…and they’ll see it as a really beautiful and cool art form,” Granley said.
“Also that people will contemplate the idea of the so-called ‘safe space’ and what it actually means to create a space that is safe. Some people say that they’re doing that, but it doesn’t actually happen.”
Granley and AGGV invites you to explore this multi-media exhibition and reflect on how you view tattooing as an art form, a tradition, and a way of adorning yourself with art while checking out the different tattoo communities that exist within the City.
Tender Touch: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
- Where: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1040 Moss Street
- When:
- Opening Day: Saturday, November 25th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tattoo artists onsite from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Tender Touch runs from November 25th to May 4th
- Opening Day: Saturday, November 25th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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