AIRs, Exchange Students (USA) and Interns show their work on Monday 29th of May, 5-7 pm, at AGA LAB.
AiRs: Atta Kwami (GHAN) and Pamela Clarkson (GB), Louise Captein (NL/USA)
Exchange/workweek: 12 students from Appalachian State University New Arizona, with professors Scott Ludwig and Tricia Treacy
Interns: Amber Schrama, Sarah Faasse
Atta Kwami (GHAN)
The 2017 AGA LAB residency has enabled me to work on AGENDA X, an artist book exploring invention and the interplay of the form of the ‘x’ in art, architecture, and urban and rural experience in Africa, Europe and America. AGENDA X consists of twelve etchings printed on BFK Rives 250 gsm, printed in an edition of five copies and two artist proofs.
AGENDA X explores vernacular architecture from Ghanaian towns: Sirigu, Navrongo, Bolgatanga, Zuarungu, Amedzofe, Somanya, Ho, Kumasi and Accra. It is also inspired by urban experience in the USA, specifically, New York and Washington, DC, and in the Netherlands mostly Amsterdam: in the UK: London, Loughborough, Leicester, Manchester and Nottingham.
Pamela Clarkson (GB)
Mariam and Waleria lived in Mali in 1989 in a compound house where I stayed for a few months:
I got to know them well. The two women liked to be drawn and as I had no camera and no books I wrote an illustrated book around them. That manuscript has lain in a box file for 28 years. The residency at the AGA LAB has given me the opportunity to reconfigure the many faces of Mariam and Waleria. Becoming familiar with those faces again through the slow tempo of stone lithography has helped me to cut through my own style and touch on the vulnerable and bloody characters of the women, so much more powerful than my representations of them.
Louise Captein (USA/NL)
I am interested in poetic form and in mysterious content. My abstract and semi-abstract work purposely communicates play, chance, optimism and rigor. It also celebrates color and multiplicity of meaning. My process of making can be longer or shorter but it is almost always meandering and rarely linear. I see my work as a testimony to the effects of change, as well as an expression of deftness, naturalness, flow and aesthetic resolve.
Appalachian State University (USA)
Scott Ludwig & Tricia Treacy, professors at the department Graphic Design and printmaking, organized this international workweeks with 12 Students. During this weeks they visited de Jan van Eyck Academy, University of Amsterdam, worked at Grafisch Werkcentrum Amsterdam and AGA LAB. Our neighbour WOW-Amsterdam provided their beds. At their final presentation they show a blueprint of the publication, in which they used letterpress, digital, lino, toyobo. The students will present their work and share their experiences.
Amber Schrama
Intern, GLU Graphic Design, Utrecht
During her 5 month internship at the studio, Amber has been focussing on the promotional side of AGA LAB, like taking care of the website, newsletters and AGA’s Facebook account. Simultaneously, she’s created some of her own work, including a series of woman’s portraits and a portfolio for previous AIR Hage Mukwendje (NAM).
Sarah Faasse
Intern, ROC Art&Design, Amsterdam
In the internship of five months at AGA LAB, Sarah has been focussing on expanding her portfolio and improving in graphic illustrating. In her work, she seeks for accurate shapes and light contrast.
