In a series of prints, Emma Kohlmann transforms her figurative drawings into prints with a rich, textural vibrancy. By combining the fine grain of woodcut printing with the painterly brush strokes of sugar lift aquatint, and the element of chance with open bite etching, Kohlmann has created a new series of prints that have a tactile depth, enabling her quirky and highly recognisable motifs to jump from the paper.
Whimsical creatures grow from the stalks of a plant or appear as a multitude of petals; their smiling faces emerge as a tower from the base of a flower. Kohlmann’s playful imagery has a joyful spirit of togetherness, which is infectious. There is often a friendly intimacy among the figures and creatures, making them entirely relatable.
Together, the series of prints forms a network of relations where figures are clustered together in companionship in forms that are both unique and universal.