Illustrator Ignacia Ruiz's monochrome linocuts capture her interpretation of London

Date
23 September 2015

Linocut printing has been around for over 100 years and the texture and simplicity that’s achieved can’t be replicated by a sweep of the computer mouse. Sharing my love for lino is illustrator Ignacia Ruiz, with her series of six prints titled City. Born in Santiago de Chile, Ignacia now lives in London and her linocuts are inspired by her surroundings capturing different parts of the city.

Avoiding the tourist traps like Big Ben and Trafalger Square, Ignacia offers a more personal perspective of the capital. Grazers at Brixton market, a staircase at Holborn station and a nondescript supermarket filled with shoppers all feature in her black and white prints. The lack of colour is a brave choice as real-life London has pockets of glorious brightness hidden within it. But her approach works wonderfully and adds a distinct graininess to the images, especially where the ink hasn’t quite attached to the paper.

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Ignacia Ruiz: City

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Ignacia Ruiz: City

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Ignacia Ruiz: City

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Ignacia Ruiz: City

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Ignacia Ruiz: City

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About the Author

Rebecca Fulleylove

Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art, design and culture. She is also senior writer at Creative Review, having previously worked at Elephant, Google Arts & Culture, and It’s Nice That.

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