Come Out for First Friday!
Join us on Friday, September 4th, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM for the opening of Traditional Inkwork, an exhibition by artist Anto Delia.
Artist Statement
This collection reflects Antonella D’Elia long-standing love of ink, fine-line work, and the freedom of working freehand. Throughout their artistic career, ink has remained one of the more favored mediums—a way to work intuitively, embrace imperfections, and allow each mark to become part of the overall final image. Their approach combines bold lines, expressive brushwork, and selective use of color to create pieces that feel graphic yet organic.
Their work is strongly influenced by the visual and symbolic imagery of traditional Japanese Irezumi tattoo art and Sumi-e ink painting. Antonella is drawn to the rich meanings associated with its imagery, such as the animals, figures, flowers, and mythical creatures, in this case, dragons, and how they can represent qualities such as strength, beauty, resilience, transformation, protection, wealth and good luck. These symbolisms provide a foundation for exploring storytelling and their personal expression through imagery that is not too on the nose.
This collection is a representation of a continuation of Antonella’s long relationship with freehand ink painting and an important step toward the future they envision. Through freehand painting and exploration of Japanese-inspired artwork, the artist is honing their craft a piece at a time, with the hope of eventually translating that passion from paper to skin.