Pressed and Pulled: Charlotte Sainsbury’s Collagraph Prints in Torquay

Guest Blog Post – Artizan Gallery

This autumn, Artizan Gallery marks twelve months since the launch of its dedicated Printmaking & Sculpture venue on Lucius Street. Over the past year, the gallery has hosted retrospectives, seasonal open calls, and a rich mix of material-led practice. Now, as we reach this milestone, the main gallery is given over to a striking solo exhibition by contemporary printmaker and painter Charlotte Sainsbury.

“Pressed and Pulled” showcases Charlotte’s vibrant collagraph prints, works that are both deeply rooted in place and endlessly experimental in process. From the rugged harbours and boatyards of the Cornish coast to the open expanse of nearby moorlands, her subjects sit at the meeting point of natural forms and industrial heritage. Tin mines, docks and fishing infrastructure become strong compositional anchors, set against the shifting marks and patterns of weather and tide.

Charlotte’s connection to collagraph is immediate and enduring: “It was love at first sight when I came across a collagraph plate seventeen years ago. Made from scraps of material, paper, sand and textures, it was a thing of beauty in itself. And then to see the process reveal a print that’s not just an image but one with depth, tone and texture of an almost photographic quality… wonderful.”

Her plates, built from wallpapers, netting, string, sand and found textures, are as tactile as the prints they produce. Applied with ink in a painterly way and run through the press, the results are richly layered, with no two pulls ever quite the same. The unpredictability of the process is, for Charlotte, part of the joy.

Having originally trained in ceramics at the Central School of Art, and spent 25 years as a freelance china restorer, Charlotte returned to study at UWE Bristol to complete a Masters in Multi-disciplinary Printmaking. Since then, her practice has flourished from her studio on the Rame Peninsula, where her work draws daily inspiration from the surrounding land and sea.

Alongside her exhibition, visitors will also find the gallery’s ongoing seasonal printmakers’ open in the Courtyard space, complemented by selected 3D works from the sculpture season. Together, the programme celebrates a full year of this new gallery model, reaffirming Artizan’s commitment to championing printmaking and sculpture at the heart of Torquay.

Visit

· Dates: 4 October – 8 November 2025

· Hours: Thursday–Saturday, 10:00–17:00 (or by appointment)

· Venue: Artizan Printmaking & Sculpture Gallery, Lucius Street, Torquay

· Admission: Free | Works available to purchase

Join the Launch

· Private View: Friday 3 October 2025, 18:00–20:00

· RSVP to attend Private View: https://www.art-hub.co.uk/events-1/oct25pv

· More details on the exhibition: https://www.art-hub.co.uk/ex/oct25

· More details on the supporting Sculpture Seasonal Exhibition: https://www.art-hub.co.uk/ex/ssautumn25

Take a moment on your South Devon visit to discover this quietly transformative art form: prints built from fragments and textures, layered with stories of coast, moor, and material memory.