Speaker: Inked Zodiac Conversation with Tattoo Artist Jimmy Shy

In Japanese, irezumi means 'inserting ink' and is a common word for tattooing. American Irezumi is the name given to what tattoo artist and State of Grace owner Takahiro (Taki) Kitamura spent the better half of his life pursuing. The Japanese tattoo has been instrumental in Kitamura’s journey toward understanding his hybrid identity, and he is not alone. Like the artists and wearers featured in the exhibition, Kitamura continues to learn and express lessons about culture, art, perseverance, humanity and life through tattooing. They take this journey together, and many are on a similar path of understanding and growth. American irezumi is the intersection of Kitamura's inherited culture with his quest to master the art of traditional Japanese tattoo. The manifestation of this diasporic experience through the practice of tattooing is part of a larger story evolving in America: the story of how we grow comfortable in our skin, our tattooed skin. 

Living Tattoo Traditions: American Irezumi and Beyond exemplifies the concept of American Irezumi, capturing hundreds of hours of commitment over a twenty-five-year span and showcasing the community built over that time. Through photographs and interviews with over twenty-five artists in the Bay Area and beyond, a hand-painted mural, original artworks and tools, the exhibition explores the unique way in which the art of the tattoo tells stories of identity, place and cross-cultural embodiment and experience.