Guanlan Original Printmaking Base Residency

I was lucky to be invited as an artist in residence at the Guanlan Printmaking Base after being accepted for the biennale last year. I was first invited to go last summer, but due to work, I postponed the trip until this April. From April 1 - 25, I lived and worked at the base, making lithos, meeting other artists and experiencing a little bit of China.

The artists all stay in these 300 year old hakka houses. It's a bit like living in a history museum, especially when you compare it to the surroundings. Guanlan is a suburb of Shenzhen, and although the base is calm and quiet, things are starting to get quite built up around it. They are in the midst of building a printmaking museum, which is supposed to open later this year.

The print studio itself is very new... And spacious! They have woodblock, intaglio, silkscreen and lithography (both stone and PS plate). I chose to work with stone lithography, as it had been almost 5 years since I worked on stone. On the second floor of the studio there were small individual ateliers for the visiting artists. There were a few too many of us, so I shared an atelier with a Korean artist who I met before in Tokyo. Small world!

The base has Chinese printers, who are also artists themselves, there to help print your work. It was my first time working with someone and not printing everything myself, so I was a bit apprehensive. Luckily, the lithography printer, Shu, was very skilled and did a great job.

Over the course of the 3 weeks, I made 3 new lithographs. One of them was inspired by the local food. We had breakfast, lunch, dinner, at 8, 12, and 6 respectively, everyday, with everyone together in the canteen. Always similar, but not quite the same. It's like they had a rotation going, with 5 items, rice and soup every meal.

One of my favourite things was this huge roll of BFK. I hardly ever indulge to buy it in Japan, so it was a treat.

Overall, I had a great experience! Thank you Zhao for inviting me!

*Now, for anyone who is thinking about going to do a residency in Guanlan, let me give you a few tips. Don't forget to pack floss, because you can't buy it there. Prepare lots of movies, books, entertainment to bring with you, as there is nothing much to do around the studio when you feel like a break.

Request a fridge before you go. One of the hardest things was not being able to drink a cold beverage for almost a month. If you like coffee, bring some with you, as there is only instant.

If you are visibly not Chinese, people will stare at you, and sometimes stop and take your picture. It can be invasive at times. 

There are a variety of restaurants not too far from the base, so if you want a break from Chinese you can just take the bus and go out. I enjoyed pizza, pasta and korean food during my trip. 

And finally, be sure to go to karaoke with Zhao. You will have a lot of fun!