Even though 2022 was the official “Year of the Tiger,” Seventh Son Tattoo believed it would be a fitting homage to begin 2023 with a traditional motif as the theme for their art exhibition. From Pinky Yun to Ed Hardy, the tiger has been consistently and strongly represented in the tattoo industry. Luke Stewart, tattooist and owner of a high-end shop (Seventh Son) in San Francisco, staged a group show of around thirty artists, ranging from permanents at his studio to guest artists. Grime, Scott Sylvia, Paul Dobleman, Jeff Croci, Henry Lewis, Victor J Webster, Matt Leibo, Christina Ramos, Joey Armstrong, Shun Nakatsuru, Max May, Kim Stace Thomas, Jared Smith, Andre Malcolm, David Grizzle, Amanda Lynn, among others, are the artists whose paintings were displayed. The exhibition opened on January 21 at 7 pm at 111 Minna Gallery in the city, a venue that only sometimes showcases tattooists’ artwork but recognizes the creativity and potential of this community. And each individual contributed to tattoo art’s formal recognition as fine art.

Even though you may assume that a large metropolis like San Francisco would be isolated, the community joined together for a beautiful occasion. It attracted art collectors, interested observers, and tattoo lovers to a lively venue. Michelle Delaney, co-owner of Minna Gallery, and David Young, a painter, worked diligently to create this group exhibition and were very kind to the media and all visitors.

Photos © The Tattoo Journalist / Scene360