CICADA PRESS PRINTMAKING RESIDENCY - 2016

I took part in the Cicada Press Indigenous Printmaking Residency at COFA in Sydney, run by master printmaker Michael Kempson. Cicada Press has a really strong reputation for bringing artists into the print studio to work collaboratively, experiment with different processes and develop new work with the support of highly skilled printmakers and students.

Over the years, the program has worked with an incredible calibre of artists, including Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Fiona Foley, Brenda L Croft, Gordon Hookey, Reko Rennie, Dale Harding and Ryan Presley, as well as artists such as Ben Quilty, Fiona Hall, John Olsen and Reg Mombassa through the broader Cicada Press program.

For me, it was a great opportunity to spend concentrated time in a professional printmaking environment, working closely with Michael and developing a stronger understanding of print processes and what could be achieved through collaboration in the studio. Cicada Press has played an important role in contemporary Australian printmaking, particularly through its long-running relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.