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The Raven and The Wolves is proud to announce the return of its annual art show, Blood and Fire. The third rendition will take place on Saturday, October 9, 2021 and feature dozens of artists from around the world, including many of Southern California’s top talents.
The invitation-only art show brings together the best of the best among both tattoo artists and traditional fine artists, showcasing works from impressive painters, sculptors, and more — both new and old. As with its 2018 and 2019 predecessors, Blood and Fire III will bring a world-class gallery experience to The Raven and The Wolves’ downtown Long Beach location. More than anything, owner Carlos Torres believes that top-notch tattoo artists deserve to have their incredible fine art shown with the same respect and professionalism typically reserved for full-time painters and sculptors in galleries and museums around the world.
“I want to display people who have put in the effort to really go above and beyond,” Torres says. “I know a lot of fine artists who are friends of the tattoo industry, and they hang in crazy galleries that look amazing, so I want to give everyone that same experience. I want tattoo artists to display next to fine artists, because I want to show everyone that tattoo artists who are putting in that extra effort can be on the same level as fine artists.”
Of course, Torres has always maintained that same mentality for The Raven and The Wolves as a studio. Many of the artists from the shop will also be featured in the gallery, as the head honcho more or less mandates that everyone he hires also create artwork in another medium. Everyone at The Raven and The Wolves is willing to pour theirblood, sweat, and tears into art on both skin and canvas, because they have the passion — orfire — to be the best artists they can be, so Blood and Fire was born.
While The Raven and The Wolves certainly looks forward to hosting several other art shows in 2022 and beyond, Blood and Fire will always be the studio’s most prominent. Two years removed from the previous event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Torres and his team are more ready than ever to make the series’ third installment the biggest one yet. From the addition of sculptures to the list of legendary artists of all types, Blood and Fire III will be the largest and most noteworthy art show in the studio’s history.
Even with certain parts of the world still under duress and international travel more difficult than usual due to the pandemic, The Raven and The Wolves’ leadership was able to build the upcoming art show into a groundbreaking exhibition through hard work and determination. But if you ask The Raven and The Wolves manager, it all came together through a little help from some friends.
“I think the friendships Carlos has formed have made this possible,” the manager says. “For instance, the sculptors came about because Carlos was in a sculpting class and became friends with the instructor. Now there’s that connection through art, and he's invited to be in the show. A lot of that connection comes from their relationship with Carlos. They admire him as an artist, so it's a mutual respect and understanding. I think his friendships and who he is as a person also make people want to participate and be a part of it.