House of Seiko is pleased to present Script & Sentiment, a new solo exhibition by Rose D'Amato at our Los Angeles location. This collection of work examines the convergence of craftsmanship and memory through the transformative act of decoration and personalization, revealing how embellishments, such as hand lettering and pinstriping, can transcend an object's original purpose to become an artifact imbued with meaning and emotion. This will mark Rose’s second exhibition with the gallery. 

At the heart of D'Amato's practice is the storied art of hand lettering, pinstriping, and custom car painting, disciplines traditionally associated with the decoration of vehicles and objects. Using these pragmatic techniques, D'Amato examines the transformation of objects into repositories of memory, identity, and emotion. The work is a meditation on how something as ordinary as a vehicle—an object that carries us through the physical world—can, through the skilled hand of the artist, become a vessel for deeper psychological and cultural resonance.

D'Amato's distinctive approach as a sign writer and pinstriper—an art form deeply embedded in her family's legacy—has garnered significant recognition from custom car builders throughout the West Coast. This growing demand has afforded her the privilege of personalizing some of the 20th century's most iconic automobiles. Each vehicle presents a unique set of challenges, from composition and collaboration to form and placement. As the original knowledge, techniques, and materials associated with the creation of these vintage cars become increasingly scarce, D'Amato uses these projects as an opportunity to revisit and refine traditional methods of custom car painting. By sourcing rare, archival materials, she integrates them into her contemporary practice, blending historical craftsmanship with modern sensibilities.

Through this process, D'Amato is not only refining her craft but amassing an archive of influence—an evolving repository of knowledge that reveres the historical movements that shaped the art form. Her work is both a celebration and preservation of the past, a testament to the enduring power of craftsmanship and the ongoing dialogue between history and contemporary practice.

In her latest body of work, D'Amato captures movement without requiring physical motion. These works capture the fleeting, often ephemeral moments when sunlight strikes a piece of gold leaf, a flash of neon, or the fine line of pinstriping that momentarily catches the eye on the highway. In her work, the memory of these moments is suspended in time—a blend of the physical and the imaginary, where a brief flash of something beautiful or striking can leave an indelible mark on the mind.

Additionally, the shop plays a key role in D'Amato's latest body of work, acting as a central figure in the creative process. In D'Amato's practice, the shop becomes a cosmic repository, with each element contributing to a larger, interconnected whole. While some objects serve an immediate, functional purpose, others hold a more subtle or enduring significance. Together, they form a collection of artifacts that reflect the rapid and often fleeting passage of time. Much like a living organism, the shop is in constant flux, adapting to the changing needs of the craftspeople within it, while also preserving a sense of continuity.

This space of creation mirrors the mind itself—a place where memories and experiences are stored, revisited, and transformed into something new. In D'Amato's practice, the shop becomes a metaphorical extension of time's transient nature, where objects, imbued with the marks of labor and human touch, transcend their materiality. Each piece becomes a product not only of its physical creation but also of the history and influences that have shaped it. Through this interplay of space, time, and process, D'Amato's work encapsulates the essence of craftsmanship as both a temporal and timeless pursuit.

We hope to see you soon.

Thank you.