Japan Studio Research Trip

COMMUNITY THROUGH PRINTMAKING

Person using a screen printing frame, applying blue ink with a squeegee, on a wooden table.

This project grew out of many chats between us – Carla Smithand Nicola Lyttle – about our shared love of printmaking and how far we could push the medium. We first met at Peacock and The Worm studio in Aberdeen, where we bonded over a shared curiosity for trying out new techniques, experiments that sometimes worked (and sometimes didn’t), and a shared belief that studio spaces are powerful places for creativity and connection.

Carla is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores moments of human connection. Her practice spans film, ceramics, bookmaking, and socially engaged art. During her year-long printmaking residency at Peacock and The Worm, she presented a solo exhibition that debuted her artist book Sugo, a celebration of printmaking created using risograph, etching, screen printing, and cyanotype. The book also reflects Carla’s ongoing interest in food as a way of bringing people together.

Nicola is a designer and printmaker specialising in risograph, fascinated by how this process sits between the analogue and digital worlds. Her degree show centred on the Scottish risograph community, resulting in a book that documented workshops and the creative energy sparked by this printing method’s resurgence.

Together, we decided to turn our focus to Tokyo (the birthplace of the risograph) to explore its creative hubs and the people who bring them to life. Building on Nicola’s earlier work documenting Scottish studios, we aim to create both a film and a book capturing the atmosphere of Tokyo’s vibrant creative scene, whilst reflecting on how techniques and ideas can be shared between Scotland and Japan.

With Carla’s skills in alternative documentary filmmaking and Nicola’s innovative approach to risograph, we set out to document these spaces in a way that felt playful, thoughtful, and true to the communities we visited. The result (a film and book) is in its creation process, and we are very excited about how it is all shaping up! Keep reading for an exciting update!

A woman working at a screen printing station,pressing ink onto paper with a squeegee.

Over the course of a month in Japan, we visited six studios. Most of our time was spent in Tokyo, where we explored Print & Plant, Letterpress Letters, HandSaw Press, and Surutoco. We also made trips to Kanazawa to visit Ishibiki Public Studio and to Osaka to spend time at JAM Print Studio.

Each space had its own personality and focus. At JAM and Surutoco, we learned about Surimacca — a screen printing method developed by JAM that uses deconstructable frames. The process for preparing separations and stencils was incredibly streamlined, blending risograph principles with screen printing in a way we hadn’t seen before. We even got the chance to create our own screen prints using this technique.

In the other studios, our focus was on risograph printing. Designs for these prints were developed throughout the trip, inspired by the places we visited and the details we noticed along the way — a true in-the-moment reflection of our journey.

We’re hugely grateful to all the studios for their generosity, openness, and willingness to share their expertise. The next step is bringing everything together in a film and a book.

Person standing on a patterned rug, wearing beige shoes and a white dress or coat.

2026 Exciting Update!

We recently found out that we have been successful in the Creative Scotland match funding through Crowdfunder! This funding is fundamental to completing the project and hosting launch events for the work!

We appreciate any contributions. Especially with the match funding, even small amounts make such a huge difference!

Support the Project!

A glimpse behind the scenes…

A detailed digital mind map or infographic with various sections of text, color-coded boxes, images, and videos, illustrating complex information and ideas.
Screenshot of a video editing software timeline with multiple video clips, audio tracks, and transitions visible across the timeline.
Two women in a room, with one woman excitedly pointing at a piece of artwork or craft project on the table, while the other looks on smiling.
Two women are meeting with a seated woman with long dark hair at a table in an indoor setting, possibly an office or store. A laptop is open on the table, and the standing woman is wearing a pink shirt, while the other woman is wearing glasses, a black shirt, and a bandana. The third woman has her back to the camera. There are signs, a clock, and a QR code on the wall in the background.
A detailed mind map titled 'Common Themes from Studios' highlighting key topics and subtopics related to printmaking, including accessibility, community, and print impact.
Open journal open on a desk with a blue hydrangea flower and a cannabis leaf resting on its pages, a family mart receipt, a sketch of a scene with characters, and various notes and drawings.
Multiple computer monitors displaying graphic design and file management on a laptop keyboard.
Person drawing a detailed lion portrait in a sketchbook while taking a photo of a bowl of Thai curry with a smartphone.
A cluttered desk with papers, a pink marker, a roll of tape, and some maps or charts with colored sections and figures.
City street scene viewed through a reflective, fragmented glass structure, showing pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and modern buildings.
Sketch of various dog breeds on paper with ink and a paintbrush nearby.
A semi-transparent sheet with a printed image of a woman's face and hands, surrounded by red markers and a cloth bag.
Left side: A woman working on a large print in a printmaking studio. Right side: A person holding a sketchbook with a detailed drawing of a food scene, including bowls, utensils, and food items.