Davina Schluttenhofer is a graphic designer, illustrator, and letterpress printer based in Kent. The Hofer studio was established in the Autumn of 2018. Founded by Davina, Hofer translates from German as ‘farm house’, and Schlutte ‘the valley’ – handy given that Davina and her family are nestled at the edge of one, albeit in the Garden of England.
Davina studied Visual Communication at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art. Following 20 years in the design industry, she escaped to the countryside. Leaving the city, Davina found herself next door to the former home of Charles Darwin. Daily walks through his glasshouse, orchids, and the buzz of bees inspired her to return to her love of drawing and nature.
The comp room had been an escape whilst studying at St Martin’s, and Davina then attended letterpress workshops with Alan Kitching whilst studying at the RCA. It was a visit to the Alan Kitching show at Somerset House in 2016 that reignited her love of the process, and was the driving force behind purchasing a cylinder proofing press.
Her working process involves drawings, mostly in a sketchbook, which are then rationalised in Illustrator to simplify and create plates ready for the press. Plates are then mounted on a heavy base to raise to type height for printing. Hofer also work with movable type, but image making has been their main focus. The studio is home to a Swiss-made FAG cylinder proofing-press, providing the opportunity to print with vibrant precision, coupled with the quirks and beauty that only letterpress printing offers. Plate making is currently the only process completed outside of the Hofer studio and print shop. Everything else is generated from the house of Hofer, reducing their environmental impact. Their inks are 90% salvaged, stock FSC-certified, and all packaging is compostable.
Hofer take commissions, create greetings cards, prints, and ephemera. The main drive of the studio thus far been greetings cards, but they are shifting their focus to work on larger scale print making on the press. Sometimes the proofing press is just not big enough so they also offer a super-size Giclee process, and screen printing when budget allows. Their work is largely inspired by nature and the natural world, plants, and flora and fauna, and they are influenced daily by the shape, form, and colour found in nature and how this translates into the way we see the natural world.
From monstera to mangetout, cherries to carrots, Hofer nurture their love of nature through print.
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