Printmaking as an outlet for grief

My Shift project for the 2023–2024 school year.

“Grief is…” is a 2' by 2' woodcut print, and “the final act of love” is a 1' by 1' woodcut reduction print.

“Grief is stored in the Yuk Gae Jang,” a risograph minizine.

“How do you live?”

Like last year, I had a hard time trying to find a project that really compelled me to create. I asked myself so many questions as I tried to think of ideas — “Should I build on my jewelry project from last year?” “Design an app?” “Go outside of my comfort zone and learn something new?” the driving quote that led to creating dearketto — “Do the work you want to see done” — using that as a guiding compass again? Designing a blind box, a personality quiz, these were all exciting ideas that were difficult to pursue in the thick of recruitment. So many questions but not enough time to answer them, a frazzled brain that represented my fall semester.

One of my initial project ideas, a blind box of clay tanghulu keychains.

Then my dad passed away unexpectedly, and there was only one question in my mind: “How do I go on living with this fact?”

When my family went to a Buddhist monastery to pay respects, I noticed, among the offerings, a box of pistachios with a paper crane placed on top of it. Such a specific offering, but that’s what made it so meaningful — even after death, we are loved and remembered by those around us in the smallest ways.

I found comfort in that fact, and in how my family tried to remember my dad in those small ways as well. For my dad, as with many Asian families, eating together was a love language. Remembering those times was a form of love in my grieving.

Seeing that box of pistachios, I was inspired to express that theme of love through remembrance.

This past year, I started taking printmaking classes. I think that the patience and care that the medium requires was fitting to what I wanted to express emotionally, and so it was quite serendipitous that I was able to take advantage of my printmaking class for this project. Through creating a woodcut print series, I was able to channel my energy into my carving, and really got to appreciate the care that such a natural medium requires. Coming up with imagery that could convey grief, love, and remembrance was harder than I expected. However, I was able to learn how to convey such emotions and themes through more subtle methods such as gesture and symbolism.

Outside of class, I also finally tried a medium I had always admired—risograph printing! Through the printed minizine, I was able to more fully express my personal experience in a fun and new format that was very creatively fulfilling, in true Shift fashion! I believe that the halftone and more analog format really added a special edge to the wistful nature that I tried to convey.

Like last year, it took a few tries to find the right project. But that’s what made it meaningful — that trial-and-error process that helped me learn more about myself. Being able to explore art as an outlet through this project has been so helpful, and everyone within Shift has been so supportive.

To top all of it off, my minizine is being sold at Vault of Midnight, a comic store and one of my favorite places to go to since I was little! Go check it out if you’re in the Ann Arbor area :)

My zine at Vault of Midnight!

Thanks for reading! you can see more of my printmaking work (and jewelry) on my Instagram, @dearketto.