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Emily Dickinson

@emilly.d

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PEN TESTS 🖊️
Co-founder / Curation @studio20berlin
Mother of @hooornyhenry

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Pen Tests: Part III

Is it rubbish, or is it art? It’s both. That’s the paradox I’m obsessed with.

Pen tests are the purest form of expression because they are created without ego. They aren’t intended to be seen again; they are “rubbish” by-products of a pen purchase. But to me, they represent unfiltered and pure creative expression.

To push this idea of “worth” to its limit, I decided to merge the disposable with the permanent. If a pen test is a piece of “rubbish,” what happens when you tattoo it onto your body?

Tattoos are historically symbols of deep importance. By tattooing my art practice -this “rubbish”- onto myself, I’m playing with what we value creatively and what we throw away. I’m questioning the history of the tattoo and the ego of the art scene. Maybe the most honest things we create are the ones we were never meant to keep.

Welcome to my world of pen tests. This is only the beginning.. taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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7 months ago

Pen Tests: Part II

I can’t stop. I have hundreds of these now, and every time I look through them, I see something different.

There’s a strange intimacy in a pen test. It’s a message from a stranger -a “hello,” a “how are you,” or just a scribble- that was never meant for me to see. It’s a direct, ego-less connection between two people who will never meet.

I’m becoming increasingly interested in the purpose and worth of these marks. They are personal, yet anonymous.

Tomorrow, I’m taking this concept to the next level. Let’s see how far this goes.. taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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7 months ago

Pen Tests: Part I

I started this year with a “new old” resolution: gathering as many pen tests as possible.

I’ve been doing this for years in art shops all over, but lately, it’s turned into an obsession. What started as a hobby has turned into an exploration of subconscious marks, shared names, languages and even stray shopping lists. There is so much humor, lightness, and joy hidden in these little scraps of paper.

I’m starting to wonder: what is the “worth” of a mark made when no one is watching, and no one is meant to see it?

Follow me this week as I unpack what these pen tests really mean to me and how far I’m willing to take this exploration. taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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7 months ago

Gathered statements & affirmations from pen tests.

Enjoy x by @emilly.d

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2 days ago

Berlin! Love doodles, tattoos, tunes and coffee? ‘Hallo, Hallo’ the next edition of the Pen Test event series is here.

🗓️ Saturday 17th October

🕖 13:00 - 18:30

📍LAP Coffee, Bergmannstraße 9, 10961 Berlin

Expect a playful exploration of value, worth, and human connectivity.

This event explores the „accidental“ art of testing a pen in a stationery shop with the „intentional“ permanence of tattooing. There is a strange, unguarded intimacy in these anonymous marks -unfiltered, messy, and destined for the bin, they represent a direct, egoless expression of creativity.

From stationery shop scribbles to skin-deep ‚hellos‘ - Join us for a celebration of egoless creativity

@lapcoffee_ let’s gooooo 〰️🖊️ taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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3 days ago

When your in the mood for a squiggle 〰️

From pen test to permanent taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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7 days ago

Love a Pen Test, but not looking for permanent ink? Fear not. 🖊️ You can now get Pen Test print editions delivered right to your door!

The first edition prints just dropped on my website, and 10 more are on the way. Link to website shop in bio! by @emilly.d

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17 days ago

Close-ups from Saturday’s Pen Test session. Matching “hallo”s, a boob each to make a pair, and a felt-tip scribble 🖊️ taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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18 days ago

Art Week madness and we still managed to squeeze in a Pen Test tattoo morning.

Following the booked out Pen Test event in May, we finally were able to get the rest of the tattoo bookings done.

Get ready for more Pen Tests, tattoos, music and vibes. Next event in Berlin is in the works 🖊️ taken in Berlin, Germany by @emilly.d

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19 days ago

Not sure what your next tattoo will be? Or first?

I’ve got you covered.. New locations, new flash sheets and even more vibes.

Berlin & UK -los geht’s 🖊️ by @emilly.d

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22 days ago

2015 → Now. Where the Pen Test obsession began.

From university sketchbooks, drawings and large-scale spray paintings to ceramics and tattooing, the concept keeps evolving.

Next chapters dropping soon. More events coming this year 🖊️ by @emilly.d

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3 months ago

Flash designs from ‚Pen Tests’ at Coro Wine & Vinyls a few weeks back. See anything that tickles your fancy? 🫦

This project pushes the idea of worth by merging the disposable with the ultimate permanent. By tattooing these subconscious marks onto the skin, the historical weight of the tattoo and the ego of the art scene is challenged.

I’m interested in what happens when momentary and seemingly meaningless scribble is transformed into a lifelong mark to be valued. by @emilly.d

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3 months ago