The Tracy Piper "SEEN Volume 2" Pop-Up Show & Book Signing

RSVP to enjoy a special viewing of "SEEN Volume 2," The Tracy Piper's second iteration of a collaborative art project of 50 eye paintings that were made during the Spring of 2023.

For this continual series, the artist organized an open call for her collectors, fans, and fellow artists to be featured as one of her models. Each participant answered the same question: What does it mean to feel seen? Each painting and response is featured in the artist’s third book aptly titled “SEEN Volume 2," which is now available for preorder. The Tracy Piper will also be available for in-person signings during the event.

Come dressed in your artsy best and meet fellow art lovers while taking pleasure in the artist's works in the gallery's lower level space [The Down Low]—in addition to the current group exhibition on the main level titled "Postcards from Paradise."

The paintings will be on view through June 24th or until they're purchased. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6PM or by appointment.

"What does it mean to feel seen?

Painting people is an intimate act: finding each freckle, how the eyelash curls, the weathered lines, a sharp or messy eyebrow… not one face is like another. And each answer to the question, ‘What does it mean to feel seen?’ is as nuanced as those faces, every one different and unique. Yet we all feel this question in our souls. Each of us circles this question at some point in our lives. This project is a window not just into each participant’s life, but also into the whole of what it means to be alive today.

I couldn’t stop at just one book, at the wisdom of only 50 people. I couldn’t stop because I know what it means to not feel seen. Each person who signs on to this project is taking a huge leap into self-acceptance — by saying I am worthy of being in the light, my words mean something, my freckles are important, my wrinkles are beautiful, that I made it, I am here, now. To get to be a conduit for this kind of true transformation — by painting each person as they are — represents a window into my soul. It transforms me. How rare the opportunity to have these moments of connection, forged by an honest gaze and a heartfelt word. I intend for this book and hopefully many more after to stand as a testament to this community. To the people who wanted to be seen, with no strings attached, and took the leap. Those late nights staring into each of your eyes will always be worth it. I SEE you… and I am so glad you are here."

—The Tracy Piper

THE TRACY PIPER (b. Oakland, CA, 1987) is a female-identifying, contemporary painter and art activist. Best known for her vibrant portraits and figurative acrylic paintings, Piper’s illustrative work tackles social constructs in an abstract-realist style. She has shown at SCOPE and SELECT in Miami, FL; stARTup Art Fair in San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA; SCOPE New York, NY; and exhibits internationally. In 2017 Tracy competed on the GSNTV show “Skin Wars: Fresh Paint” and emerged victorious! Most recently, Tracy completed six murals in the Bay Area to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement and promote community safety during COVID-19. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration from California College of the Arts and is represented by Voss Gallery.

VOSS GALLERY is a women-owned art gallery in San Francisco’s Mission District established in 2019 by Ashley L. Voss. The gallery features a dynamic exhibition program of solo and thematically organized group shows and socially-conscious projects to benefit the greater community. New exhibitions are presented every four to five weeks and are curated with an emphasis on New Contemporary work by emerging and mid-career artists.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Voss Gallery, 3344 24th Street, San Francisco, United States