The advent of technology, while a boon, has adversely affected our folk and traditional art forms. The availability of easy production tools owing to the digital revolution has contributed to the decline of traditional techniques, thus changing the lives of craftspersons. Printmaking—through which one creates artworks by printing on surfaces such as paper, fabric, wood, metal, etc.—is among the many artistic processes that have been overshadowed.
Artist Shivangi Ladha started India Printmaker House (IPMH) in 2019 with the sole purpose of helping thwart the extinction of this technique. Through IPMH, Ladha attempts to promote printmaking as a form of art and create opportunities for young printmakers. “When I got back to India with a master’s in printmaking from Royal College of Art, London, there were very few opportunities. I thought, why not start something that connects young printmakers together in India,” explains the 31-year-old.
Bringing back tradition
An alumnus of the College of Art, New Delhi, Ladha migrated towards printmaking due to her strong inclination towards drawing. “Printmaking involves the use of drawing,” she says. Explaining how the medium is misunderstood due to lack of awareness, she adds, “Many people confuse printmaking with digital printing; it’s not the same. In digital printing, you can reproduce prints. In printmaking, every print is different from the other. There would be slight variation in the colours or the lines because it’s hand-made,” says the Noida resident.
Through IPMH, Ladha and her team organises lectures, presentations, exhibitions, and workshops to educate the public about the technique. They have also collaborated with the NGO Paathshala, to teach this technique to children from economically-stressed backgrounds. Apart from this, the team has also institutionalised an annual award—the Manorama Young Printmaker Award is given to a young printmaker, who receives a cash prize and printmaking supplies as well as a four-week residency at ArtBuzz Studios, a print studio in Delhi. The work of the winner and runners-up are also exhibited on the website for sale. “The idea was to collaborate with different organisations and create opportunities. Currently, we are supporting about 30-35 artists annually,” adds Ladha.
Tried, tested, evolved
Printmaking has evolved over the years. While established methods incorporate techniques such as woodcut, etching, engraving, lithography, and more, modern artists have now adopted screen printing to experiment with their work. “People are moving beyond the conventional methods in printmaking now. For instance, I have used printmaking to create installations and also screen printed directly on the walls,” Ladha explains.
Artists around the world are also increasingly focusing on sustainable methods of printmaking and cutting down on the use of chemicals—now there are alternative methods including vegetable oil to clean ink, soya sauce to degrease the plate, chalk powder to clean the plate, etc. “This is yet to happen in India but with IPMH, we want to share these ideas and learning with young printmakers so that the future of printmaking is more sustainable in the country,” she concludes.