Third major printmaking exhibition in recent years arrives in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is fast becoming a destination for lovers of printmaking as a third major retrospective of the medium is announced for Spring 2025. Edinburgh Printmakers today released details of two new exhibitions drawn from Jerwood Collection and Edinburgh Printmakers' Collection, both celebrating the transformative impact printmaking has had on British artists and their work.  

Running from 4 April to 29 June 2025 Impressions: Selected Works from Jerwood Collection features 20 exceptional works by internationally renowned artists, including Ian Davenport, John Hoyland, Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, Bridget Riley, Tracey Emin, Lucian Freud, Ben Nicholson, Yinka Shonibare, Eva Rothschild, David Hockney, Angela Gill, Maggi Hambling, Kim Lim, Paula Rego, Augustus John, Hurvin Anderson, Julian Trevelyan, and Frank Auerbach. Though predominantly featuring the intricate process of etching this exhibition also showcases other printmaking techniques, including screenprinting, lithography, linocut, and monotype. Together, these pieces offer a vivid exploration of the rich and varied possibilities of printmaking. The variety of works on display in Impressions are a testament to this, from the vibrant and abstract works of Ian Davenport and John Hoyland to the intimate and figurative examples of Tracey Emin and Lucian Freud. Practitioners have also used printmaking as a type of visual commentary to address current themes of identity, culture, and history as demonstrated by Yinka Shonibare and Hurvin Anderson.

Running alongside this generous loan is the partner exhibition Story: Selected Works from Edinburgh Printmakers’ Collection which will showcase 40 works in a range of printmaking forms by artists including; John Byrne, Barbara Rae and Toby Paterson, David Shrigley, Victoria Crowe, Carol Rhodes, John Bellany, Rachel Maclean and Callum Innes. Drawn from Edinburgh Printmakers’ Permanent Collection the selection of works span five decades as the organisation prepares to celebrate its 60th year. The collection contains works created in Edinburgh Printmakers studios across four locations since opening as the UK’s first open access print studio in 1967. Works made by artists in its Victoria Street, Market Street, and Union Street workshops, and the current studio in Castle Mills, shine a light on the organisation’s tradition of creating masterful prints with Scottish and international artists.

Edinburgh Printmakers CEO Janet Archer said: 

“Printmaking holds an important place in the history of art as a medium, revolutionising artistic practices and accessibility. As one of the first methods for mass producing art, it democratised creativity, and the introduction of editioning made art more widely available to audiences and collections and allowed artists to distribute impressions of their work globally. Being so versatile, printmaking enabled artists to push the boundaries of texture, layering, depth, and colour. This capacity for experimentation and innovation allowed creatives to explore endless possibilities.

 

Both exhibitions celebrate that vibrancy and potential for pushing the boundaries of the medium. The generous loan of 20 works from the Jerwood Foundation gives visitors to the gallery a rare opportunity to see these works from internationally renowned artists, many of which have never been shown in Scotland. In response the selection from Edinburgh Printmakers’ Permanent Collection showcases the exceptional work that has been created in our studio over the years by leading Scottish artists. Together these exhibitions mark a significant moment for the growing prominence of printmaking in contemporary art in Scotland and across the UK and cements Edinburgh’s reputation as a destination for lovers of printmaking.”

The exhibitions coincide with the first Jerwood Residencies at Edinburgh Printmakers which give six talented early career printmakers the opportunity to work in the print studio, carry out research visits and take part in learning workshops. Spanning two years the residencies will be awarded to support artists committed to developing a practice in printmaking with a focus on etching and intaglio skills to enable them to pursue a high-level career in printmaking.  

Impressions: Selected Works from Jerwood Collection has been supported by Jerwood Foundation with loans from Jerwood Collection. The Jerwood Collection of modern art gives public access to a privately-owned collection to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of 20th and 21st century art. For further information visit www.jerwood.org/jerwoodcollection. 

20 Feb 2025