Megalo Print Studio Graduate Award
AKIN explores the merging of printmaking and collage, alongside my investigating of different copper-plate making techniques. Print-making is a rhythmic artform, and can form multiple images from one matrix. It is a very cyclical process, and I have found connections to the broader repeating qualities of time, natural processes, and our own lives. I have been researching into my own Celtic heritage, and the Celtic knots that appear in this culture. Early Celts were polytheistic and had a strong affinity to nature. One of the oldest forms being the triskele (Celtic spiral knot) which represented triplicity such as life, death, and rebirth. They represent cycles, and the intricate linkage of all things. One key quality about these Celtic knots, is that their appearance is made up of repeating forms, which fittingly ties to the print-making practice.
This Celtic ancestry appears on my maternal side, a key idea that ties into the concept of the matrix (meaning ‘womb’ or ‘mother’ in Latin) and reproduction within printmaking. From my experiments with making custom shaped copper-plates, I created a section of a Celtic knot or repeating form to print multiple times to complete the symbol. There are many possibilities within the plates, with opportunities to explore different arrangements, types of knots and patterns.
My practice includes collaged imagery of various natural elements to make these shapes, accentuating the wider topic of connection between all things. Collage theory also explores ideas of origin, recycled elements, and union of different components. The hybridity of collage expands to the discussion of genealogy and parentage; it is a coupling of two images to create a new visual, passing on various elements comparable to DNA. This artistic practice serves as a bridge between traditional print-making techniques and modern processes, inviting viewers to engage with themes of lineage, unity, and the passage of time. Through visuals, the viewer is immersed in a rich visual experience where the embossed patterns of print resonate with layered collaged imagery. This fusion enhances the dialogue between personal history and broader cultural narratives, prompting reflections on the individuals own place within these cycles. Ultimately, my work aims to evoke a profound sense of unification, encouraging contemplation of the intricate web of life that binds us all.
