Print Studio

Original Prints are Original Artworks

Collaboration in Printmaking Explained

Print Care

How to Handle Original Prints

How to Pack a Print in a Tube

How to Pack Prints Flat

The Artists' Press Gallery (A to L by Surname)

The Artists' Press Gallery (M to X by Surname)

A Bit of Our History...

In 1991, The Artists' Press opened its doors in Newtown, Johannesburg, under the direction of Tamarind Master Printer Mark Attwood. The print studio is primarily a lithography studio providing artists in southern Africa with a workshop dedicated to creating, publishing and selling limited edition hand-printed work. In 2002, we relocated to a farming area outside White River in Mpumalanga, South Africa. In the purpose-built print studio, the press does lithography, letterpress, mono printing and relief printing.

Mark Attwood is the director of the studio and is the Master Printer. He has worked in the printing field since 1981, apprenticing in his father's print shop (The Broederstroom Press), and later trained in hand printing at Lowick House Print Workshop (UK) and at The Tamarind Institute, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (USA).

Mark elaborates: "In 1991, after completing the Master Printer Training Programme at Tamarind Institute in New Mexico, I decided that I was going to dedicate my time to working collaboratively with southern African artists. Print collaboration is when a skilled artist works with a skilled printer to create a print that neither could make in isolation. The artist has their own concepts and style of working that is uniquely theirs, but their grasp of the technical aspects of printmaking and lithography may be thin. The master printer has all the technical skills, but their artistic abilities may be limited to doodling on a notepad. The two are experts in their independent fields and come together at the press to make something greater than the two halves, to allow the artist full expression with print. Collaboration allows the artist to focus on the image while the printer ensures it is technically possible. It is a tradition that dates back many years to the lithographs of bullfights done by Goya and the theatre posters by Henri Toulouse Lautrec that were printed by the Mourlot studio in Paris.

I have had the incredible experience of working on editions with over 130 artists, mostly South Africans but also artists from Ghana, Ethiopia, the United States, Burundi and the Netherlands. Not many people get to work so closely with artists to help them realise their work; it has been an enormous privilege. Each artist has a unique approach to working in print, its my job to adapt the process to their needs; to get the best possible result."

The Artists' Press is dedicated to collaborating with artists to produce the highest quality prints possible. All work printed at the studio is done by hand. We use acid-free paper and the most light-fast inks available. We continually explore new ways to innovate and challenge what we do. All editions are carefully curated and documented. Once editions have been printed and signed, the plate or stone is defaced, thus preserving the integrity of the edition and ensuring that no second editions can be printed. Documentation sheets are available, on request, for all editions made at the studio.

The studio uses one chop: TAP, the initials of The Artists' Press. These have been assembled to reflect the form of a hand lithography press as seen from the side. All prints produced at the studio are embossed with this chop.

Listen to Mark Attwood talking about how he started The Artists' Press and the importance of printmaking in South Africa on this podcast by Hello, Print Friend recorded in 2021.

How we select the artists that we work with in the print studio

Artists whose original prints are available from us are carefully selected and individuals who are published by The Artists' Press are published by invitation only. We focus on southern Africa and strive to publish work which reflects the diverse experiences of the region and which is of the highest artistic integrity. We work with professionals who have successfully exhibited work of a consistently high standard and who are among the top South African artists. They are selected in terms of the high standard of their work and not because they follow a particular school, the emphasis being on excellence rather than a specific style. This means that the work available from our print studio is diverse and is a reflection of the variety of work available in South Africa as well as representing the conceptual concerns of South African artists. These vary from work that analyses contemporary social and political issues, abstract landscapes to the human figure and language.

Occasionally we work with a relatively unknown practitioner, often people who would be considered "outsider artists". This is in line with our aim of introducing people to printmaking and of assisting those who are on the fringe of the contemporary art scene in South Africa. These projects are exciting as one is dealing with the unknown and the coming together of technique and creativity in an inspired way.

Work published by The Artists' Press and available from us via this website includes artists' books, portfolios of prints and single prints.

Work printed by The Artists' Press can be found in numerous private and corporate collections around the world. Public collections include: The Smithsonian Institute, The National Gallery of Australia, Tate Modern (London), Bodleian Library (Oxford University), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The Victoria and Albert Museum (London), US Library of Congress, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), University of the Witwatersrand Gallery Collection, Botswana National Museum and Art Gallery, South African National Archive, Museum of Modern Art (New York), University of Cape Town, The Art Institute of Chicago (USA), Winterthur Library (Switzerland), Durban Art Gallery, University of Johannesburg and Yale University (USA).

Litho stones waiting to be grained.

Jacky Tsila graining stones.

Mark Attwood working on a project for William Kentridge.

Artists Who Have Worked at The Artists' Press

The following artists have made editions of prints at The Artists' Press print studio, to see the work you can go to the artists pages or take a look at our archive pages:

Adams, Albert (RSA/UK)
Alborough, Alan (RSA)
Arnott, Lauryn (Zimbabwe/Australia)
Attwood, Simon (RSA)
Avery, Eric (USA)
Bailey, Beezy (RSA)
Bambo, Lucas (RSA)
Bell, Deborah (RSA)
Berens, Georgina. (RSA)
Berman, Kim (RSA)
Beck, Paola (RSA)
Benadé, Hanneke (RSA)
Bertram, Henning (Germany)
Bezabih, Behailu (Ethiopia)
Bickle, Berry (Zimbabwe)
Blignaut, Belinda (RSA)
Bob, Coex'ae (Botswana)
Böröcz, Andras (USA)
Boshoff, Willem (RSA)
Botes, Conrad (RSA)
Botha, Elza (RSA)
Brenner, Joni (RSA)
Carimbwe, Julietta (RSA)
Carimbwe, Katunga (RSA)
Catherine, Norman (RSA)
Cao, Sara (Botswana)
Chiliza, Sibonelo (RSA)
Clarke-Brown, Gabriel (RSA)
Coco, Koaba (Botswana)
Corneille (Belgium/France)
Daymond, Karin (RSA)
Deanin-Abbey, Rita (USA)
Delaney, James (RSA)
Diedericks, Chris (RSA)
Dikuanga, Joao (RSA)
Dikuanga, Zurietta (RSA)
Dumville, Anthony (RSA)
Faith 47 (RSA)
Frier, Gary (RSA)
GAP (France)
Geers, Kendell (Belgium/RSA)
Gregory, Joy (UK)
Goje, Sandile (RSA)
Hattingh, Flip (RSA)
Heiser, Roswitha (Germany)
Hibbert, Erika (RSA)
Hurwitz, Harry (USA)
Hodgins, Robert (RSA)
Jali, Thami (RSA)
Kase, Thamae (Botswana)
Kannemeyer, Anton (RSA)
Kehew, Elaine (USA/Kenya)
Kennedy, Espoir (Burundi)
Kentridge, William (RSA)
Khoza, Banele (RSA/Eswatini)
Koloane, David (RSA)
Kruger, Marieke (RSA)
Kwami Atta (Ghana)
Ledimo, Moleleki Frank (RSA)
Legae, Ezrom (RSA)
Letlape, Philemon (RSA)
Lipkin, Eileen (RSA)
Louw, Johann (RSA)
Mabaso, Dumisani (RSA)
Makwena, Ditiro (Botswana)
Malemane, Sello (RSA)
Mangana, Qwaa (Botswana)
Manthosi, Alsetah (Mozambique/RSA)
Marais, Eugenie (RSA)
Mashile, Colbert (RSA)
Mason, Judith (RSA)
Mason, Tamar (RSA)
Masuku, Aletah (Mozambique/RSA)
Mautloa, Patrick (RSA)
Mntambo, Nandipha (RSA)
Moore, John (RSA)
Motswai, Tommy (RSA)
Msimang, Selby (RSA)
Nagel, Sybilla (RSA)
Naude, Andre (RSA)
Ncokg'o, Qgoma (Botswana)
Ndala, Freciano (RSA)
Ndinisa, Roy (RSA)
Neethling, Jan (RSA)
Ngomane, Dorah (Mozambique/RSA)
Nigrini, Michelle (RSA)
Nkotsi, Tony (RSA)
Nkuna, Thomas (RSA)
Nhlengethwa, Sam (RSA)
Deborah Nodder (RSA/Germany)
Ntcox'o, Cg'ose (Botswana)
Oltmann, Walter (RSA)
Penn, Richard (RSA)
Penn, Robyn (RSA)
Pole, Fiona (RSA)
Pfrunder, George (Switzerland)
Qgam, Coex'ae (Dada) (Botswana)
Qaetcao, Moses (Botswana)
Qhomatca, Nxaedom (Botswana)
Qhomatca, Xgaiga (Botswana)
Ractliff, Jo (RSA)
Romm, Nina (RSA)
Schonfeldt, Joachim (RSA)
Schreuders, Claudette (RSA)
Scott, Richard (RSA)
Sebidi, Mmakgabo Helen (RSA)
Setshogo, Thamae (Botswana)
Shipipa, Flai (RSA)
Sihlali, Durant (RSA)
Siopis, Penny (RSA)
Smith, Kathryn (RSA)
Stopforth, Paul (RSA/USA)
Taase, Nc'abe (Botswana)
Tcega, Jan (Botswana)
Tcuixgao, Xaga (Botswana)
Thekiso, Winston (RSA)
Torr, Nina (RSA)
Tshabu, Kg'akg'am (Botswana)
Van den Berg, Clive (RSA)
Van der Merwe, Strijdom (RSA)
Verhoef, Toon (Netherlands)
Victor, Diane (RSA)
Xaba, Nhlanhla (RSA)
X'are, Xgaoc'o (Botswana)

Print Studio

A Bit of Our History...

How we select the artists that we work with in the print studio

Artists Who Have Worked at The Artists' Press

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