She, in the tower
My work will be part of an upcoming gallery show
This month marks my four year anniversary of tattooing. I’ve spent the last few weeks looking at my work and my life, and wondering how I want to move forward for myself, instead of how I think I’m supposed to move forward, both as a tattooist and artist.
As part of that exploration, I submitted a piece of my work to a gallery show. I’m pleased to share that my painting “Fountain” will be part of the upcoming Era Contemporary curated exhibition “She in the Tower,” which will be on display in NYC as well as virtually.
Here’s a look at my piece for the show with my artist statement, as well as the other 3 pieces that I made as part of this 2018 painting series:
Sewing and textile arts have traditionally been seen as “women’s work,” and are perceived as having less inherent value than fine arts like painting. Years of training are required to create a garment, yet it becomes something disposable, something “too expensive,” and something particularly superficial, even when it comes from deep artistic expression.
By incorporating clothing—some of which I designed during my past life as a garment industry worker—into my canvases, my goal was to create a visual representation of “women’s work” that stretches beyond the value we assign to apparel design. This piece celebrates naïve pastel aesthetics that have historically been considered girlish and frivolous, with the women portrayed within it clearly relishing in their own, distinctly feminine world.
This group show explores the ideas of feminine interiority, symbolism, and the poetic space of transformation. Era Contemporary’s exhibits often align with my work, and I’m so happy to have finally submitted something to one of their open calls.
Date: May 7, 2026
Time: 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: Seven House Gallery, 35 Meadow St in Brooklyn, New York
Unfortunately I’m tattooing in San Jose CA that weekend, so I won’t be able to attend, but I hope you can make it! It sounds like it will be a beautiful show. Here’s the link to RSVP to the opening.
What’s blooming right now
Whenever the trees on my street start blossoming, I feel like the luckiest girl in NYC, to live right here in the middle of it.
The smallest, most delicate blooms announce their arrival first: Bursts of the palest pink-white cherry blossoms like clouds overhead, then tiny blush-pink flowers popping out along weeping branches.
The magnolias bloom with meaty white and pink petals next, followed by the fluffy kanzan cherry trees, their brown bark completely camouflaged by the fluffiest clusters of vivid pink.
They’re joined by lilacs of every scent (soapy! fruity! caramel!) and color (purple! lavender! pink! yellow! white!), as well as the yellow magnolias that were first created right here at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the 20th century.
But some days, I feel exhausted by how my quiet avenue turns into a cleaner Times Square every spring. Hoards of people in pastel dresses and seersucker march to the garden’s gates, carrying picnic baskets, blankets, and balloons that, apparently unbeknownst to them, aren’t allowed inside. After witnessing some less-than-respectful behavior from guests at the BBG recently, I texted some neighbor friends, “My most toxic belief is that if you can’t handle the garden at her worst (dirty snow and Lightscape wires everywhere) you don’t deserve her at her best (cherry blossom season).”
But how could you not want to see the spectacular display gifted to us by these trees, their energy stored up all winter for this moment, just like the rest of us, coming out of our radiator-heated cocoons?
Yay Quinne!! Wish I could be there to see this gallery show in person, I've loved these pieces and am excited that more people get to see them :)