A Toronto exhibition showcases how tattoos go beyond skin, blending craft, history and contemporary art
By Kristian Tofilovski
The sidewalk outside Atelier Next Door glimmered with warm light as visitors entered the Toronto studio for “Indelible Tattoo,” an exhibition showcasing tattoo artists’ work in painting, sculpture and other mediums. Inside, the gallery buzzed quietly as people moved from piece to piece, examining texture, colour and intricate detail. The show on Nov. 1, 2025 invited viewers to look beyond tattooing as a bodily practice and consider why perceptions of it have shifted in recent years.
As viewers moved through the space, many of the artists say that this shift in perception did not happen overnight. Tattooing, they explained, has long existed at the intersection of art, identity and tradition, even if it has only recently been recognized as such in mainstream galleries.
“It is an art form, but it also carries spiritual meaning and value. It is an ancient practice,” said Zuzanna Salinska, a Montreal artist originally from Dublin, Ireland.
For others, tattooing serves as a way to preserve cultural and spiritual history.
Toronto-based Filipino artist Jessica Mae highlighted the folk aspect of tattooing. “Tattoos were used to tell the stories of our ancestors. They express past stories, current stories and who they want to become,” she said.
Her exhibit piece, “Whispering Fans, Endless Dreams” reflected this philosophy. A series of fans connected by a river traced personal narratives, from floral imagery to a tiger she described as her guardian. A lotus appeared partway down, symbolizing a turbulence and ongoing healing. One fan remained half-open as a reminder that healing is never fully complete.
Toronto-based artist Janey Tang said she already sees every person as a piece of art and tattoos simply make that artwork more personal, revealing parts of someone without them needing to explain anything.
Toronto-based artist Edan Abate’s painting “Anhedonia,” named after the inability to feel pleasure, shows a hand holding a flower turned into a small sword, representing their personal struggle and journey in healing.
This connection between body, art and history is not new. Historical evidence shows that tattooing as a practice extends back thousands of years, Indigenous to many cultures. It can be seen in the Philippines, where the tradition dates back to more than 500 years ago. Across many cultures, tattoos functioned as markers of belonging, status and personal narrative.
These histories contend a growing recognition of tattooing as fine art. Formal art institutions have begun showcasing tattooing’s heritage and artistry in museum and gallery spaces. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) showcased an exhibition titled “Tattoos: Ritual. Identity. Obsession. Art.” in 2016 that traced 5,000 years of tattoo history across different continents while exploring its cultural and artistic significance.
Toronto artist Spencer Watts recalled attending an interactive installation at a 2019 Ed Hardy exhibit in San Francisco, where visitors placed their arms under a projector to receive a simulated tattoo. Attendees marvelled at the details, appreciating the artistry without the pressure or permanence of an actual tattoo.
“You can also study a painting longer than you can comfortably stare at a human,” Watts added, emphasizing that a gallery lets people engage with tattoo art at their own pace.
Some artists expressed concern about tattooing moving into galleries, where its rebellious, subcultural appeal might get lost in the formal art world. In the colonial Global North, tattooing has been culturally tied to incarcerated people and other working class populations with negative connotations, essentially criminalizing some manifestations of the art form. In Japan, tattooing became stigmatized through its connection to criminal organizations. Today, some scholars argue that tattooing continues to carry associations with deviance and countercultural identity. Mae said traditional tattoo artists may question what is happening to the industry as it enters institutional spaces.
Despite this, some artists see the current moment as an opportunity for growth. Exhibitions give artists a chance to reach audiences who might never step into a tattoo studio. They help people understand the technical skill behind tattooing, the cultural knowledge it carries and the personal histories it reflects.
Jenna LaRose, a Mexico City-based tattoo artist, said it feels overdue for tattooing to appear in gallery settings. She explained that many tattooers already work across illustration, painting, ceramics and other mediums and that the visual language coming out of tattooing is comparable to what you see in contemporary art spaces.
What unites the artists in this exhibition is a hope that audiences leave with a more nuanced view of tattooing. “I hope people leave inspired and curious about the art form,” said Salinska.
Watts hopes exhibitions help visitors discover artists they love, encouraging them to explore tattooing personally. Abate wants audiences to recognize the dedication and craft behind the work.
“Indelible Tattoo” proves that tattooing is no longer confined to a single identity or space. It can be cultural or contemporary, personal or public, traditional or experimental. The gallery setting platforms a broader view of a practice that has long deserved formal recognition. Ultimately, the exhibition shows that tattooing itself hasn’t changed nearly as much as the way we see it.
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