The sixth edition of the residency ‘To Riso or Not’ at Make Eindhoven, in the lead-up to Dutch Design Week, has finished a while back. Six young illustrators and artists spent two weeks working in the graphic workshop of Make, exploring techniques such as dry needle, silkscreen, and risoprint.
The selected artists for this edition were:
Ellie Mc Guinness, Fanja Bouts, Hannah van der Weide, Khattar Shaheen, Koos de Vries, and Shanna Huijbregts.
The group was challenged to experiment with the fast risoprinter and other available print techniques at Make Eindhoven. The synergy created by exploring different techniques and materials in various combinations provided a ‘pressure cooker’ environment for the artists to discover new aspects of their work, exchange knowledge, and further develop their talents. This residency was guided by Dutch artist Kim David Bots, the mentor of this edition.
To gain insights into the artists’ experiences, Wobby spoke with some of them a few weeks after the residency.
Shanna Huijbregts
When thinking about the two-week experience, Shanna remembers it fondly. “I absolutely enjoyed the experience! It's always a bit scary throwing yourself into a new setting with new people, especially whilst learning something new. What helped was that everyone was sweet, and felt the same way. We all tried new techniques in our own way; so mostly it was fun to experiment, fail, try again, succeed.. again and again. The typical art-experience, I suppose.”
The time constraints helped Shanna push through any self-doubt and create within the limited time frame. “At the end, I felt like a screenprint-master, which I am definitely not (lol).”
For her final pieces, Shanna chose to screenprint images dear to her, taken by her father when she was a child. “It's crazy to see old pictures and to realize how many different lives we go through. That's what it feels like for me, anyway. I'm a very nostalgic person, no matter how long ago.” The fabrics she used for the prints were collected by her throughout the years from different charity shops, further enhancing the ‘nostalgic’ feeling. ”Since I work with so many different techniques, I try to collect different materials to surround myself with, so that I can intuitively combine. There's substance in materials that have already been used before.“
Khattar Shaheen
Khattar approached the residency with an open mind. “I went into this residency knowing I didn’t need a fully formed concept, which gave me the freedom to experiment. The time pressure was actually inspiring, motivating me to show up and immerse myself in the process. The results weren’t what I initially envisioned, but that’s exactly what I wanted, to experience the unexpected.”
By maintaining this flexible mindset, Khattar had numerous new experiences at the Make workshop. Coming in as often as possible, he explored many techniques, seeing how they interacted with his work. “Working with screenprinting was a new experience for me, and it didn’t immediately feel like something I could seamlessly integrate into my work. I realized it’s a technique I need to explore further to determine when and how it might fit into my practice. It’s a slow, meticulous process that requires practice to achieve refined results. Even choosing colors was challenging!
Risoprinting, on the other hand, felt more manageable, and I was pleased with the results. I may continue exploring Riso, perhaps to create short animated sequences. As for screenprinting, I’m interested in adapting it to larger works, as I think there’s potential there.
However, drypoint resonated most with me. I enjoy working expressively, and with drypoint, I could etch directly onto the surface with energy. This technique aligns with my artistic identity in its purest form, and I was happiest with the results.”
Despite starting without a clear concept, Khattar gravitated toward a theme close to his heart: women and their resilience. “I believe that women are the ultimate embracers of freedom, and when they face cultural or societal limitations, it dims the future of society as a whole. This work was a way to explore what this theme means to me and why it feels so essential to express.”
Koos de Vries
Koos's two weeks at the residency flew right by, “I sometimes tend to overestimate the time I need to create and conceive a work. The etching (drypoint) that I worked on for a bit more than 2 weeks was something I had conceptualized in my head in 3 days: one day for the idea and the collage, one day to scratch the plate, and one day to print. In reality, scratching alone took 1 week, and printing took 4 days. But due to the tight schedule, I was forced to make quicker decisions, with no time to think about whether those decisions were right or not, which I believe positively influenced my creativity.”
We noticed a recurring theme in Koos’s work, both during and outside the residency, as he often uses himself as the subject. What’s the story behind these self-portraits? Do they serve as a way for him to connect with his work by being involved not only in the creation process but also in the final piece?
“I mainly create paintings in which I use myself as the model. I'm often alone in my studio, so when I have an idea for a painting, it’s very convenient to use a camera with a self-timer to position myself as needed and use that as a reference. Over time, this approach has taken on a life of its own, and now I can only think in terms of self-portraits. Painting myself gives me more freedom than painting someone else—I’m not afraid to depict myself in an unflattering way and prefer to paint with a touch of self-deprecation. In the scene from the etching, I take on the role of Narcissus, struck by a love arrow (which I’ve left out), pining away in love for his own unattainable reflection. Narcissus is, of course, a very fitting figure for someone who primarily paints self-portraits, as it’s often interpreted as somewhat narcissistic. For example, in the first self-portrait in history, Dürer depicts himself in a pose traditionally reserved for Jesus (which I, too, am guilty of in my risograph print).”
Hannah van der Weide
The printmaking studio wasn’t an entirely new environment for Hannah, as she had an extensive print studio at her art academy as well. However, it had been quite some time since she worked with the techniques, “There was something about seeing the printing presses again and smelling the etching varnish and all the chemicals, which was comforting.”
At the end of the residency, Hannah had created her own riso-printed book, which combined pages from her sketchbooks and notebooks, including notes on things like knitting patterns. “I never intended these pages to be visually interesting, but I do think they are. Other people's notebooks as well: my mom tends to make geometrical doodles which I think are very interesting, although they may just have been made as a distraction. On the other hand, I really enjoy intentional things such as pattern motifs, ornaments, and well-measured-out grids. They're the two sides that I'm always trying to balance. The narrative itself is also dualistic: I like to incorporate "boring" everyday subjects as well as themes inspired by sci-fi, fantasy, and magical realism. Mostly, I tend to keep the narrative vague or difficult to decipher, so the viewer is not restricted to their interpretation.”
Fanja Bouts
For Fanja, the experience was both thrilling and a bit overwhelming. She found herself torn between the desire to explore everything at once and the need to focus on mastering a single technique. “For example, with riso alone, there was so much I wanted to try out, but then you're also thinking: But I should try all these other techniques! Overall, I really enjoyed the experience, you try to let go of the feeling of being overwhelmed and you just start to make.”
Initially, Fanja thought the time pressure didn’t necessarily spark creativity, but after further reflection, she realized it did bring about a new process. “It definitely helps you to just make rather than to be in your head for a long time. I think this is a really positive thing because often ideas stay in your head and are never created, but since here you were in a space where the 'making' part was so accessible, you actually got to create your ideas straight away. So I'd say the pressure did actually spark a lot, thinking about it.”
Risoprinting had always fascinated Fanja, especially its vibrant colors and unique textures. “Having worked with riso (even if just for a bit) myself now, I am able to think a little more in layers as I'm making, so that has positively changed my process for sure. The 'obstacle' I felt to work with riso from having no experience with it is now gone.”
It was no surprise that Fanja would be drawn to the bold colors of risoprints, as this is a hallmark of her previous work. “I have been wondering myself why I'm drawn to it. I like it when an image is really striking when you look at it and it's almost too vibrant. I think it's also because I love the contrast between heavy themes and colorful childlike illustrations. Finally, I just love to see and contribute to a colorful world.”