WHAT IS TIGERBOB?
Tigerbob is an artist-founded, artist-led fine art, fashion, and character brand.  The purpose of the brand is to highlight the one-of-a-kind work of the artist, Gossamer Rozen, and to scale up the work with sustainable manufacturing practices and collaborations.
Tigerbob is the platform for the artist, providing creative freedom and exploration. In turn, the artist creates art objects and programs that support the growth of the business. The push and pull of the artist’s unbound creativity versus the requirements needed to maintain a sustainable business becomes a model constraint that guides the artist, the business, and the work produced.
Tigerbob, the titular character, takes the form of a pixel motif and hand-drawn tiger head. The design appears in apparel, hand-drawn illustrations, sculpture, accessories, digital art and more.
THE TIGERBOB MOTIF
Tigerbob unifies the work of Gossamer Rozen under the banner of their signature tiger head, a logo originally designed for their tattoo practice, which has since been iterated in the form of illustrations, sculptures, fiber art, and digital collectibles.
Designed primarily for knitted textiles, the distinct square shapes of the tiger motif allow the artist to resize, adjust, and reinterpret the Tigerbob tiger head in a multitude of designs that transcend medium - from pixel art to knitting pattern.
DESIGN EVOLUTION
Inspired by their love for cats, Gossamer began drawing & tattooing big cats, specifically tiger heads, in a similar three-quarter view starting in early 2019. The work was inspired by traditional American tattoo designs & Japanese, Chinese, and Korean fine art. Gossamer gravitated towards the tiger motif - it was one design that motivated them further to tattoo.
Gossamer’s first tiger design was based on a Korean rendition of the tiger, and this first drawing was tattooed on their twin sister in August 2019. Since then, Gossamer tattooed many versions of big cats (and sometimes canines) in this style. Animal pupils were drawn as slits until late 2020, when the signature “soft boiled egg” shape became prominent. This is the essential look of Tigerbob today.
Execution of the work is inspired by  medieval European and Asian art, particularly work that makes use of atmospheric perspective with flora and fauna like Korean Minhwa, Japanese folding screens, Chinese hand scrolls, and French Aubusson  tapestries.
NARRATIVE & EXPLORATION
Tigerbob is an otherworldly creature who resides in the Elysian Garden alongside other unnatural beasts and nature spirits. A respected beast spirit of the garden, Tigerbob was one singular creature until an event caused it to be split into thirteen different equal dimensions and one thousand pieces. Today, these thirteen Tigerbob breeds live on thirteen mountain peaks in the Elysian Garden.
Following a rich story arc of characters and world building since Gossamer’s teenage years, Tigerbob joins the pantheon of beasts from the Gossamer Rozen universe. These stories were shaped by Gossamer’s childhood, organized religion, folklore, and identity through artistic expression.
The lore of Tigerbob is explored organically through art products and experiences created by Gossamer Rozen  in the form of interactive art games (digital & physical), wearable art, illustrations, tapestries & more.
GOSSAMER ROZEN
Founder of GROZEN FA LLC and Tigerbob, Gossamer Rozen is a nonbinary, femme, transgender, Filipino and African-American fine artist and tattooer. They have been creating work professionally since 2008, exploring a variety of media including illustration, tattooing, and fiber art.
An alum of Massachusetts College of Art and Design (2012), Gossamer is mostly self-taught in illustration, fashion, and tattooing, and has a formal art education in sculpture. Gossamer’s sculpture explorations focused on hand-sewn garments, plush toys, and ornaments which stem from childhood interests in fashion, video game, and toy design.
Gossamer's work primarily explores their identity and heritage, drawing inspiration from East Asian contemporary art and folklore, mythology, religion and spirituality, and old world textiles. The work is process-oriented and the subject matter reflects soothing and reflective moments in life, exploring nature themes and relationships with animals, especially cats.