Recent Events:
Tender Touch Podcast Episode
March 2025
In episode 14, Mel Granley curator of Tender Touch spends time with participating artists Geri Kramer, Simran Dhaliwal, Kaman Lu, and Grae Salisbury talking about their histories, practices, and considerations around tattooing in Victoria. The exhibition Tender Touch, at the Gallery November 2023 to May 2024, explores the city’s growing tattoo community and the art practice as a source of bodily autonomy and trust.
Tattoos are gender affirming care
February 20, 2025
Written by Rae Dawson
Local transgender tattoo artists speak on the intersection of trans joy and tattoos.
WHN Kid’s Zone Feature
December Issue 2024
World Health network is a global community dedicated to protecting health, minimizing harm, and building a safer, healthier world for all. Although COVID-19 is a serious topic, living a COVID-Conscious lifestyle can be fun and rewarding. Kid’s Zone magazine highlights the many ways Covid conscious kids explore, share, and connect!
Tender Touch
November 25, 2023 - May 5, 2024
Curated by Mel Granley, AGGV Assistant Curator
Tender Touch delves into Victoria’s unique and proliferating tattoo community. In recent years, the tattoo industry in Victoria has grown considerably, with more and more queer and BIPOC artists beginning their career and opening up their own tattoo shops in town. Alternatives to the traditional western tattoo scene, these spaces are bastions for many seeking to adorn themselves with ink.
About Grae Salisbury Studios
Grae Salisbury (they/them) is an illustrator, visual designer, and tattoo artist currently living on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations (so called Victoria, BC, Canada).
Grae moved to Canada in 2012 and graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts and Sciences from Quest University Canada, focusing on “Arts Based Social Change Theories and Practices”.
Grae has been professionally tattooing since 2021 and is a resident artist at Black Cat Tattoo . Beginning their illustration career creating event posters, Grae has since created business logos and branding, advertisements, portraits, short comics, cover photos, pieces for magazines, and media for theatrical shows and films.
As a queer and trans human, and a member of the disabled community, Grae is excited to pursue more projects that explore disability justice and queer and trans stories.
