JACOB DES
Outside
January 24th-March 7th, 2026

Opening Reception:
Saturday, January 24th, 5-7 PM
KDR305 | 1322 SW 11TH ST

KDR305 is reopening its doors for special projects in 2026! The gallery is pleased to exhibit new work by Philadelphia based artists Jacob Des. For more than ten years, Jacob has worked as a tattoo artist in New York, London, Melbourne, and Dayton, Ohio.

His practice is informed by early exposure to portrait-based tattooing, which provided a strong foundation. He refines this foundation through processes of flattening and reduction. He approaches fictional spaces as portraits, using them to explore fantasy, identity, and authorship. These concerns reflect tattooing as a practice in which meaning and identity are projected onto an exterior surface with the intent of transformation. 

The compositions read like still lifes filtered through bold outlines and solid-color fields of traditional American tattoo flash—everything is compartmentalized. Des's vases of flowers, the draped fabric, the bowl of lemons—they're all broken down into distinct zones with confident shapes of color and hard edge. Des engages the classical still-life tradition that runs from Cézanne's tables through Van Gogh's sunflowers to Matisse's studio interiors, filtered through the visual logic of historical old-school tattooing across the eras of Sailor Jerry and Cap Coleman.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jacob Des (b. 1986, New York City) holds a BFA in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art (2008) and has been tattooing professionally since 2009. His latest exhibition was held at Fairmount house gallery in Philadelphia, PA. He currently lives and works in Fishtown, Philadelphia.

KDR305

KDR305 is a contemporary exhibition space housed in a 106 yr old cottage in the heart of Little Havana, Miami, FL. The exhibition opens Saturday, January 24th, 5-8 PM. Ride share is encouraged as there is little public street parking. This exhibition is in the original gallery space and will be by appointment only past the opening date. For images, information, and appointments, please get in touch with katia@kdr305.com.