"Living on the Island of Anglesey it's hard not to be inspired by my surroundings. I discovered Gyotaku in 2017 when asked to do a commission for Dylan's Restaurants. I've continued using this method of print making ever since. Gyotaku is Japanese and means fish rubbing. It originated in Japan in the 1800's when a lord went out on a fishing trip and caught a spectacular specimen. He wished to record it so he could prove to his friends the catch was genuine. Either he or one of his servants came up with the idea of using sumi ink to paint the surface of the fish and then they pressed a sheet of paper or silk over the surface and an impression was taken of the fish. This became an art form in Japan with nobles displaying Gyotaku prints in their homes. In the 21st century, Gyotaku is still a relatively unknown art form but practiced in coastal locations across the globe. I try to work with local specimens when they are available and have a local fisherman who keeps me supplied. I don't just print fish, I've also developed the ability to work with shellfish too and I make prints from shells and botanical specimens too. I use Chinese, Japanese and Thai papers for my practice and when the print is taken it then needs to be flattened so I use the authentic method of Urauchi for this."

Bankside Hotel x Contemporary Collective are thrilled to welcome Birmingham based artist Imogen Morris to the Art Yard Gallery as their next Artist in Residence. Influenced by the traditional craft of hand embroidery, Imogen creates portraits using nail & thread. During her residency, Imogen will create a series of portraits using her signature technique that portrays a sense of movement and energy in the subjects to reflect the fast-paced atmosphere of the Bankside Hotel and community, located in the heart of London.

With the goal of developing her work into more of a 3D space, Imogen plans to create 14 portraiture works of subjects who are guests, visitors and local community members of the hotel that will create a sense of movement and pace in each portrait. Throughout this process, Imogen will approach, engage with, and photograph subjects to obtain a series of photographed portraits that will be used as a base for her original, nail and thread artworks.

Read the press release here