Engramme is delighted to be collaborating once again this year with the Society of Scottish Artists (SSA). This partnership, which has lasted for over fourteen years, creates a dynamic dialogue between artists based in Scotland and Quebec. The artist selected for this edition is Paul Fourneaux, a professional member of the SSA.
Paul Fourneaux uses a simplified, abstract language in which the elements of sky and horizon joining the earth are suggested rather than described in detail. In the studio, these simplified elements highlight the intrinsic beauty of Mokuhanga, a Japanese woodcut technique.
Printed by hand, the wood grain becomes a major visual element which, when the work is printed more delicately, appears speckled or mottled. The artist also uses the technique of resist varnishing, often in unexpected ways, sometimes to exaggerate the natural beauty of the wood and add a contemporary touch to her pieces.
With twenty years’ experience behind him, Paul Fourneaux likes to be surprised by the element of chance. Long hours of planning, cutting and printing are punctuated by spontaneous moments that can radically transform a work. Sometimes, on the contrary, intense creative energy is set aside to complete a piece with the gentle bokashi (fusing technique).
“I like to promote Mokuhanga, an ancient form of printing, as a vibrant and precious contemporary medium.”