Lost Now Found was Ayeen/Sarah’s debut solo exhibition exploring the theme of rediscovering the beauty of nature in the overlooked. The show emphasised the value of appreciating the small details in nature, as it’s these little wonderments that tend to uplift us rejuvenate joy within us. Through her intaglio etchings, Sarah highlights the serenity and intimacy of these moments, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the importance of preserving and cherishing the natural environment. “Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, the beauty of nature still exists as the place for us to find rest and peace,” states Sarah.
The show was held at Belfast Print Workshop, where Sarah is a member, back in April 2023. Having only ever made a handful of etchings since she first learnt this printmaking technique in the winter of 2021, she wanted to challenge herself to create a cohesive body of work. The resulting collection of prints is themed around nature; taking inspiration from Sarah’s travels and outdoor adventures around parks and forests. She tells us; “I love collecting vintage and antique frames and wanted to utilise these for the exhibition”. The combination of the subject of her work and usage of old frames brought about the title of the show; Lost, Now Found. “It’s about appreciating the small things we often overlook, gratitude for what we already have and finding solace and peace within that,” says the printmaker.
Sarah aimed to make 10 mini copper plate etchings for the show. She cut and filed them all down to custom sizes of rectangular and circular shapes, with the largest plate dimension at 7cm, and the smallest at 3cm. Using hard ground and aquatint etching, the whole series was printed onto Somerset Soft White Paper on a Rochat Press. Sarah comments; “I was trying to be efficient during the process by working on multiple plates at the same time – etching and printing in batches. This took a bit of organisation.” Preliminary sketches of each image was made with notes of times required for each part she wanted to etch. Since the plates were small, she was able to place 4 plates on to the etching press and print them in one go; “It saved time and was great to compare each image equally”. From this, Sarah was able to make changes in order to achieve the final desired image. When it came to the final version, each plate went through the press one by one.
Some of her favourite pieces from the Lost Now Found collection include Buttercup; an etching measuring at 3cm diameter. “I really enjoyed working small scale, creating this delicate buttercup image using hard ground and aquatint,” says Sarah. Another one of her stand-out pieces is By The River. She describes; “I’m pleased how well the tones and texture came out from the bottom of the image showing the river and rocks, the middle segment that has the foliage and trees, to the top part with clouds in the sky.”
Sarah tells us that she “learnt so much” from the exhibition process; “I really enjoyed the whole process. It was a journey in itself. My skills in printmaking improved, I learnt how to put on an exhibition, and found the importance of integrity.” She really wanted to use vintage and antique frames that she had been collecting for years to showcase her etchings, however was nervous to do so. “I’ve only ever came across contemporary framing in white wall galleries and I wasn’t sure if what I wanted to do was acceptable in the art world,” says the printmaker. A dark green background to showcase her etchings was also on Sarah’s wishlist. She asked Belfast Print Workshop if she could paint the gallery wall green, and to her surprise, they said yes! Thus, she followed through, and even put a shelf up with a few props. Sarah states; “I’m very happy to report it was very well received. This became the main feature of my exhibition. I did also have contemporary frames and showcased them in a row on the other side on the white wall.”
Sarah concludes; “My debut solo show definitely gave me a buzz and confidence to showcase my work”. She will be hosting her second solo show in July 2024 at Black Box based in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast. This time, she’ll be showcasing larger scale works and a series of new screen prints.
Shop the collection here.
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