Printmaking Residency at the Guanlan International Printmaking Base 2023
This year I spent almost two months at the Guanlan International Printmaking Base in Guanlan, Shenzhen, China. I left Pennsylvania on October 18, 2023 and returned December 15. I had done 4 or 5 residencies there before so I had some idea of what to expect. But since I was last there in 2019, there was an entirely new workshop used by international artists, although the old workshop is still in use. The accommodations were all new, as was the dining area. The thing that has remained the same for the most part is the talented group of technicians.
I again worked with Liu Hongliang in etching. He is both a very good artist and printer. I know a lot about etching and I know a lot of etchers, but I’ve never met anyone as good at aquatint. This is a specialty in his own work. He also used a double printing method on my etching where he printed an off-white flat and then printed the etched plate on top of it.
For the first time I did a silkscreen at the Guanlan workshop. I hadn’t done a silkscreen for almost 50 years and the process has changed. I worked primarily with Miya who was knowledgeable, helpful and supportive.
The Guanlan Printmaking Base is located close to the China Printmaking Museum and they frequently work together. Probably the biggest event held at the Museum is the Guanlan International Print Biennial, and while I was there they were preparing for it. Unfortunately, I had to leave a few days before the opening. But I did get to see the exhibition the day before I left China and I was happy to have a print included in it.
I also got to visit truly outstanding shows at the Guangming Culture and Arts Center and the Shenzhen Museum of Art.
This is a time of stress between the US and China. Since I’ve been back friends have asked me if there was any tension or difficulties presented by the political situation. I can say there was absolutely nothing that I was aware of. We were all focused on printmaking.
The Guanlan Printmaking residency involves a whole support community. I can’t adequately give credit to all the people who made my stay possible and enjoyable. But I’d like to mention a few – Kang Jianfei, Li Kang, Guo Qingwen, Zhao Jiachun, Gang Shi, Yinan Zhang and Jason Yang.
Technicians and resident artists in the Guanlan Printmaking Workshop
Workshop photo with Harumi Sonoyama and Guo Qingwen
Guanlan architecture
Guanlan landscape and possible reference material for a new print
I really love abandoned buildings and there were some beautiful examples in Guanlan
Wang Caizhen and me standing in front of the entrance to the Printmaking Base
The Printmaking Workshop
More abandoned buildings in Guanlan
Flowers at the Printmaking Base
The Printmaking Base is also a tourist destination - I was told they had as many as 10,000 visitors in a day
At the China Printmaking Museum with Li Kang, Guo Qingwen and Yinan Zhang
At the China Printmaking Museum with Kang Jianfei’s sculpture
Veliko Marinshevski and Guo Qingwen after Veliko’s talk at the China Printmaking Museum
Evan and Veliko at a barbecue
Yinan Zhang, Cheryl Hochberg and Evan at Shenzhen Bay
Photographing birds at Shenzhen Bay Hong Kong in the background
Shenzhen architecture
Central Shenzhen
Kang Jianfei giving some resident artists copies of his book
Scholar rock at the Printmaking Base
Chance meeting with Deng Chunru, Ting and MC - I met them about 10 years ago and Ting had the next photo on her phone from 10 years ago
This photo was tken 10 years before the last one
Dinner with Deng, Ting and MC at the Artists Cafe, complete with a dragon!
Dinner with friends from the Printmaking Base
Ruth Stanton, Cheryl Hochberg and Evan in front of the sign for the Printmaking Base
Anywhere but New Who
Yutong and Zhao Jiachun in front of Yutong’s prints at the China Printmaking Museum
Nice dinner with Cheryl Hochberg, Li Kang Harumi Sonoyama and Veliko Marinshevski
Installation at the Shenzhen Art Museum in Longhua District by Japanese artist Shiota Chiharu
Instaqllation by Chiota Chiharu at the Shenzhen Art Museum
AI chess players at the Shenzhen Art Museum
Huge oil painting at the Shenzhen Art Museum
Oil painting at the Shenzhen Art Museum
Oil painting at the Shenzhen Art Museum - The subject is a group of painters in the Dafen Oil Painters Village all doing copies of the Mona Lisa
Ink painting in the Shenzhen Art Museum
Photo taken in front of the Guangming Culture and Art Center in Shenzhen
Painting from the Ink Painting Biennial at the Guangming Culyure and Art Center
Painting from the Ink Painting Biennial at the Guangming Culture and Art Centr
Visiting with Paul after the opening of the Ink Painting Biennial at the Guangming Culture and Art Center
Printing Tan Ping’s large woodcuts in the Guanlan Workshop
Zhao Jiachun and Cheryl Hochberg at Cheryl’s birthday party
Cheryl with her finished woodcuts
Liu Hongliang (Leo) registering his plate
Liu Hongliang’s finished print
Liu Hongliang’s aquatint plate
Liu Hongliang’s print
Large woodcut by Zhao
Zhao’s woodcut
Another of Zhao’s woodcuts
Pencil drawing for my first print based on aperiodic monotiles. I’m fascinated with this shape and continuing to work with it.
This was the first print I made during the residency entitled Making Some Changes First proof entirely in drypoint
Making Some Changes - finished print, drypoint and collagraph
Making Some Changes - inked plate
Evan trying to explain the problems he was having with their inks to people who only spoke Chinese
Working on Dawn
Evan proofing Dawn
Evan with a working proof of Dawn
Liu Hongliang and Evan
Liu Hongliang printing my plate
Dawn - Finished plate inked
Dawn - finished print
Zhao Jiachun and Evan in the Workshop
Miya - wonderful silk screen technician
Miya with a screen
Miya printing
Silkscreen with Tiger and Miya
Miya and Tiger with Afterthought
Afterthought - completed screen print
Evan’s completed drypoint
Evan, Gang Shi and Cheryl Hochberg in the Workshop
Xia, Liu Hongliang and Katarina Vasickova in front of Proofs by me and Ruth Stanton
Katarina, Yutong and Ruth working late on Yutong’s print
Ruth Stanton’s aquatint
Xia printing Ruth’s plate
Students from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts after my workshop at the China Printmaking Museum
Evan’s print in the 8th Guanlan International Print Biennial
Guo Qingwen and Yinan Zhang with my print in the Guanlan International Print Biennial
Print in the Biennial
Jason Yang and Yinan Zhang with print in the Biennial
Mehdi Darvishi’s print in the Biennial
Woodcut in the Biennial
Akimitsu Tamawake’s print in the Biennial
Print in the Biennial
Woodcut in the Biennial
Yinan Zhang with print in Biennial
Biennial print
Biennial print
