Hakea petiolaris by Hilary Warren

Artist Statement

“Transmitted light emphasising the leaf vasculature and also creating shadows.”

About the Artist

I am a Canberra based printmaker. After a career as a biomedical research scientist I turned my observation and technical skills to the visual arts and in particular printmaking. In this exhibition ‘Shadow Play’ I have used the rich tonal qualities afforded by the photopolymer photogravure printmaking process to explore the concepts of light and shade. The topics are various. Each print begins with an observation captured as a digital image. The image is processed and translated into an etched plate. The plate is inked and the ink is transferred onto dampened Hahnemuhle paper through a press.

My background as an artist and printmaker began with tertiary studies at the Canberra Institute of Technology in 2014, with skills in printmaking gained through participation in specialist workshops. My work has achieved recognition as a finalist in several National print awards including the Peebles Print Prize 2019 and 2021, the Stanthorpe Photographic Awards 2021, the Ink Masters International Print Exhibition 2021, the Waverley Woollahra Printmaking Prize 2022 and the Swan Hill Print and Drawing Awards 2022.