Intaglio Printmaker Prize Winner: Martha Zmpounou

The process behind the piece

I am using lightweight acetate/plastic films that can be easily found in a studio or even in a household, such as portfolio sleeves or printing acetate. I like to work with watercolour in tubes and paint on the surfaces, to construct my compositions. When the watercolour has dried, I print the image onto damp heavyweight cotton rag that is hot pressed watercolour paper. Hand printing allows me to manually vary my pressure and control the outcome in a similar way to painting. This way I can allow accidents to be incorporated in the final outcome, but also have a sense of control on how they appear. I often use my fingers as well as various brushes or other tools to create my gestures or marks. Knowing that I can easily adjust my image, allows me to take more risks.

What made you get into printmaking? 

I began exploring monoprinting in my practice just a couple of years ago, although my passion for printmaking goes back further. During my BA studies at Aristotle University of Fine Arts in Greece, I primarily worked with etching and woodcuts. I fell in love with printmaking from the very first week of our induction, captivated by the diverse processes and approaches to image-making that the medium offers.

 Tell us about your other works – are they similar or different? Do you tend to work within one technique?

My work is predominantly figurative, and I tend to develop series around certain themes and ideas—personal histories, co-dependent relationships, and subjective emotional responses to the world. I also explore themes such as reverie, loss, and memory. The central key motif and theme, the most defining one over the last decade, has been the human face and body; the multitude of its potential mutations, transformations, the body, and face as canvas, and as a space of and for expression.

 The aesthetic and approach of my works vary depending on the process, media, or surface I use. For example, my monoprints differ significantly from my looser watercolors in the ‘Face Studies’ series. In my monoprints, I employ bold brushstrokes, while in my watercolor works, I prefer more fluid, expressive and layered washes.

What would be on your ultimate Intaglio Printmaker wish list?

Looking ahead, I am dreaming of owing my own large press in the future; Hand printing large scale works can be a laborious process.

For now, my more immediate wish list includes water-based intaglio inks and professional watercolor tubes.

If you could own 1 artwork, what would it be?

Could I choose two works? I would love to own Night ‘Grove,’ (2024), by Salman Toor and “Sandman”, (2023) by Danielle Mckinney.