Group exhibition at Tashkeel celebrates charm and quirks of risograph
The page that slips out into the printer tray bears the word hub, or love in Arabic, designed in the bold calligraphy distinctive to Ibrahim Zaki’s work. The design is printed in red – a grainy, textured red that is nothing like what you get from an office printer. “It is more fluorescent, vibrant,” Zaki says, holding up the page. The soy-based ink is thick and shimmers in the light. Zaki is…
The risograph printer, with its distinctive red grainy texture and vibrant ink, is the focus of a new group exhibition at Tashkeel in the UAE. Curated by Palestinian artist Ibrahim Zaki, the exhibition exclusively showcases works that highlight the medium's unique quirks and charm. Known as Khali Balak Men Riso, it translates to Take Care of Riso, a title aimed at engaging the younger generation and encouraging people to experiment with the printer.
The risograph is a temperamental technology that produces unique prints, as each copy is a one-of-a-kind artwork. Ink may drip or smear, creating variations in red shades, and the texture of the paper is revealed. The printer, which Tashkeel became the first art institution to introduce in the UAE 10 years ago, typically uses a single drum capable of printing one color at a time. However, the exhibition's printer utilizes two drums, allowing for more color possibilities.
The exhibition brings together artists who have integrated the risograph printer into their creative process and those who are just beginning to explore this finicky technology. Among the featured artists is Emirati illustrator Mariam Abbas, whose work draws inspiration from UAE architecture. In her piece Binghatti Views, she abstracts the building’s geometric facade in a deep blue print, capturing her crosshatches and thicker lines accurately.
Syrian artist Mohannad Orabi has experimented with duplicating an oil painting through risograph, tiling multiple A3 pages to display the entire work—a figure in a floral body-suit sitting on a pedestal with a rose in hand.
Other artists, like Sara Baali, have combined photography with foliage, creating vibrant prints where greens and reds stand out against a subdued blue background. Aysha Saif Al Shamsi has presented her character Nefafa through a series of risograph posters, emphasizing her modern, reflective persona and addressing the female gaze.
Al Shamsi's posters feature only two colors but showcase the intricate work required to align the red lipstick of Nefafa perfectly with her black outlines. Egyptian artist Bassem Boules has taken the technology to new heights, creating a work with as many as five colors, including Dubai landmarks like the Museum of the Future, the Burj Al Arab, and the Burj Khalifa.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
