Mexican-born Dr Lakra (Jerónimo López Ramírez) is a renowned tattoo artist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Under his pseudonym, loosely translating as "Dr Delinquent," he draws over vintage printed materials and found objects rather than skin, manipulating images of pin-up girls, 1940s Mexican businessmen, luchadores, and Japanese sumo wrestlers. His gallery installations are cabinets of curiosities featuring intricate wall paintings of beautiful women, indigenous statues and deities, collages crafted from vintage magazines penned and inked by the artist, human-like insect heads encased in vitrines, dolls that have been transformed into gang members, and images of pin-up girls with full tattoo sleeves. Dr. Lakra was the subject of a solo exhibition eat the Drawing Center in New York, which followed a show of his work at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston in 2010. He has exhibited widely throughout Mexico, the United States, and Europe at venues such as the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (MACO), Oaxaca, Mexico; Tate Modern, London, England; Matthew Marks Gallery in New York, NY; Galerie Chantel Crousel in Paris, France; and Andrew Kreps Gallery in New York, NY. Dr. Lakra, our visiting artist this year, will develop a print project and work in collaboration with printmaking students and faculty from March 20 to 24. 

 

During the spring semester, the Printmaking Department welcomes a renowned artist to MassArt for an artist-in-residency. The artist works with students to develop a concept that evolves into artwork. Students work in teams on all aspects of matrix preparation - including preliminary proofing, paper and ink preparation, and learning to methodically print consistent, professional level editions.