Ink at the library: Tattoo exhibition opens at San Francisco Public Library

"As a Japanese man born and raised in the United States, Kitamura said he struggled with imposter syndrome. Though he was part of a Japanese tattoo family, apprenticed to a Japanese tattoo master, and works with primarily Japanese-American clients, he worried that his own style was Americanized compared to the traditions he was studying. Now, nearly 29 years into his own practice as a tattoo artist (Kitamura opened his own studio, State of Grace Tattoo, in 2002 in San Jose) he feels "This is me accepting who I am and being proud of that," he said."

"Molly Kitamura, a Korean adoptee raised in the suburbs of Minneapolis, grappled with identity in a different way. Raised by two white parents, her knowledge of Korean culture was based on the Korean summer camp that the adoption agency would host every summer, she said. Tattooing has made her feel more at home and connected, she said. Most of her clients are Asian women, and she's learned more about her culture through her tattoo practice."

Taki and Molly Kitamura began getting tattoos as teenagers and now are extensively tattooed from head to toe. Taki apprenticed with a Japanese tattoo master, opened State of Grace Tattoo in 2002 in San Jose, and navigated imposter syndrome about his Japanese-American identity and stylistic authenticity. Molly, a Korean adoptee raised by white parents in Minneapolis suburbs, used tattooing to connect with Korean culture and deepen personal belonging. The couple filmed interviews with tattoo artists across Japanese, Cherokee, Mexican, queer, and trans traditions for Living Tattoo Traditions: American Irezumi and Beyond, an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, with Alison Wyckoff helping shape accessible themes.

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