Crossroads Gallery, a tattoo space that also functions as a gallery, hosts the collective exhibition “After Ink”. The exhibition concept does not address a specific theme, but aims to present the perspectives and characteristic expression of each artist. Materiality and its rendering through different working mediums is explored by four tattoo artists: Alex Caligari, Dan Lica, Livia Penda and Andrei Chiriță, the two curators being Luminița Soare and Petcu Alexandru.

Thus, Alex Caligari is one of the exhibited artists and is what can be called “a self-taught artist”. He works outside the classical, formal canons, the exhibited works being a selection from the last seven years of creation, during which he devoted himself to the exploration of oil painting and pencil drawing. Caligari approaches a dreamlike perspective, interpreting “everyday surrealism” to which he adds “the details of other dimensions”. He relies on the visual effect of his works, that are thus able to communicate with the viewer, which is why he does not give them a title.

Dan Lica, the second of the four tattoo artists included in the exhibition, prefers to use charcoal in the creation of his works. He approaches his self, his own experiences and thoughts through the texture of charcoal, which he uses to achieve a continuous development of the initial ideas in the works. His creations seem to be in continuous movement, due to the tonal effects that Dan Lica uses to render the materiality.

The third artist, Livia Penda, reproduces through her creations the passion for heraldic and medieval art, which she got through the influence of the works of her father, the graphic artist Octavian Penda. In her artistic career, Livia has been creating graphics for stamps for several years, which can be seen in the precision with which she finishes the contours of her creations. Unlike the other artists included in the exhibition event, Livia adopts a social and political theme.

Andrei Chiriță is the one who ends the list of tattoo artists who are part of the “After Ink” exhibition. He approaches an abstract color style, which he uses to capture aspects of space and nature. His affinity for colour can be seen in the way the realities that make up his compositions are distorted in favour of colourism and its visual effect.

The “After Ink” exhibition can be visited until Thursday, August 4, between 12 and 7 p.m. It takes place in the Crossroads Gallery, X Gallery for short, a multidisciplinary space where visual arts, painting and tattoo art come together to promote the creation of tattoo artists.