Human Marks: Tattooing in Contemporary Art

Christopher Martin, Cherub and Panther, 2021, Fabric, Courtesy of the artist

Human Marks: Tattooing in Contemporary Art

Joseloff Gallery

September 11 – December 13, 2025

Human Marks: Tattooing in Contemporary Art explores convergences between tattoo culture and global contemporary art. The exhibition, book (Hirmer Publishers), and related programming present the full creative spectrum of artists who maintain both tattoo and studio practices to ask what the world of fine art can learn from today’s tattoo community. With a range of surprising media—from paintings made with human blood to wearable works in silicone and even perfumery—themes of ritual, ethics, and identity tie together the materially dynamic, unexpected, and challenging artwork featured in Human Marks.

Human Marks will be the 8th International Distinguished Artists Symposium and Exhibition (IDASE) at the Hartford Art School, marking a long-awaited return of this esteemed exhibition program after an eleven-year hiatus. Significantly, Human Marks will build on the legacy of IDASE by commissioning six new works for the exhibition. Participating artists include Kaur Alia Ahmed, Oz Bardos, Makoto Chi, Nassim Dayoub, Evan Paul English, Gesiye, Don Ed Hardy, Ciara Havishya, Dr. Lakra, Christopher Martin, Duke Riley, Miller Robinson, Tamara Santibañez, Lyric Shen, and Jayna Won.

In addition to the main exhibition in Joseloff Gallery, the Hartford Art School’s Silpe Gallery will present Realigned Possession, an installation and 8-hour performance by Miller Robinson and Creighton Baxter that elaborates on the theme of identity, specifically in relation to Queer uses of the body.

Related Programming

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 11, 5–7 p.m. at Joseloff Gallery

Symposium: Friday, September 12, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., followed by a Community Dinner

Realigned Possession Performance: Friday, September 12, 10 a.m.–6 p.m at Silpe Gallery

Preorders for the book can be placed here.

The exhibition and programming are generously supported by funds held by Hartford Art School Endowment, Inc. and a grant from the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation.

The 8th International Distinguished Artists Symposium (IDASE) Programming

9:30-10 a.m. Light refreshments and coffee

Location: Wilde Auditorium lobby

10-10:30 a.m. Opening remarks by Carrie Cushman

10:30-11:45 a.m. Panel: Tattooing, Activism, and Social Work

Location: Wilde Auditorium

Learn about the role of tattooing in raising public awareness around pressing social justice issues in this discussion-based panel. Speakers include the artists Oz Bardos, Nassim Dayoub, Duke Riley, and Tamara Santibañez with TBD (moderator).

11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Lunch Break

Boxed lunches are available for purchase ahead of time. If you order a boxed lunch, please note any dietary restrictions below. Food is also available for purchase at the Gengras Student Union the day of the event. More information is forthcoming on how to purchase your lunch.

1-2:30 p.m. Deep Dive Experiences

Pre-registration is not required for the following activities. Visitors are welcome to move freely between events. We ask that visitors show respect for the speakers and their fellow audience members by quietly entering and exiting each experience and kindly waiting if a space is at capacity.

A. Realigned Possession performance with Miller Robinson and Creighton Baxter

Location: Silpe Gallery, Taub Hall

Witness part of an 8-hour, unscripted performance by Miller Robinson and Creighton Baxter. Realigned Possession is an exhibition, performance, and video by artists Creighton Baxter and Miller Robinson, first staged in 2020 and reconceived on the occasion of Human Marks. The project is a meditation on queer uses of the body, resulting in an installation that traces the material relationships established during the performance.

The performance will begin at 10 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. Visitors are welcome to drop in at any point during the performance.

B. Exhibition viewing with Carrie Cushman

Location: Joseloff Gallery

Stop by the gallery to explore the Human Marks exhibition. The curator Dr. Carrie Cushman will be present to answer questions and point out artworks that highlight the themes of identity, ritual, and ethics explored in the exhibition. The Human Marks book will also available for purchase in the gallery.

C. Water transfer demonstration with Lyric Shen

Location: TBD

Experience an artist talk and demonstration led by Human Marks artist Lyric Shen, who uses water to transfer film to three-dimensional objects. Shen will demo this technique with multiple objects to show how the film reacts to different materials, from ceramics to plastic.

D. Perfumery demonstration with Ciara Havishya

Location: TBD

Experience an artist talk and perfumery demonstration led by Human Marks artist Ciara Havishya. In this demo, Havishya will showcase the raw materials and basic components in perfume—top, heart, and base notes—and the magic that happens when they come together to create a new scent.

E. Conversation with Makoto Chi and Fiona Smith

Location: Taub Hall, Room 217

Join artist Makoto Chi in conversation with Fiona Smith, a trans woman who chose tattooing as a prominent part of her transitioning process. In this open format Q&A, they will discuss Smith’s body suit, tattooing as a form of “trans armor,” and self-advocacy through tattooing.

F. Film screening of Tattoo Nation

Location: Wilde Auditorium

How did tattoos go from something that was put on you to an expression that comes from within you? That transformation is the subject of the groundbreaking documentary film, TATTOO NATION. Run time: 1 hour, 26 minutes

2:30-2:45 p.m. Reconvene in Wilde Auditorium to learn about upcoming Human Marks programming

2:45-4 p.m. Panel: Tattooing and Identity Formation

Location: Wilde Auditorium

Learn about the relationship between tattooing, the human body, and identity in this panel featuring Kaur Alia Ahmed, Christopher Martin, and Evan Paul English in conversation with the moderator TBD.

4-5:30 p.m. Keynote Address by Matt Lodder

Location: Wilde Auditorium

Dr. Matt Lodder is a Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory, and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Art History at the University of Essex, and one of the University of Essex' Public Voice Scholars. His research primarily concerns the application of art-historical methods to history of Western tattooing from the 17th century to the present day, with a principal focus on the professional era from the 1880s onwards.

5:30-6 p.m. Break to explore exhibition, Realigned Possession performance, and book signing with the artists

6 p.m. Community Dinner at the 1877 Club

Note: All events are free, open to the public, and do not require advanced registration. For planning purposes, please indicate which sessions you are most interested in attending in the below form. Additionally, boxed lunches are available for purchase ahead of time via the form. Food is also available for purchase at the Gengras Student Union the day of the event.

Order Lunch & Optional Registration Form