The Art of the Squeegee - Saba Rifat
West Yorkshire Print Workshop (WYPW) is an open access fine art printmaking facility set in the small idyllic town of Mirfield, West Yorkshire.
I am thrilled to support a local establishment and have been a Artist member for approximately four years. The architectural aesthetics (used to Church school) provides a cool creative space, a great hub to meet other printmakers to discuss ideas, view exhibitions and be inspired by other print making techniques.
I am particular passionate about using a ‘squeegee’ erm’ I mean screen printing techniques, which obviously includes the squeegee, to develop contemporary, bold and colourful Geometric forms that are rooted in Traditional Islamic (Sacred) Patterns.
For me the excitement comes from creating a pattern compositions that are free/ organic/ unbound/ an antithesis to the crystalline patterns that the compositions are based on through the clever use of colour, disharmony, abstraction and layering with organic free flowing sketches. I love experimenting with bold vibrant ‘Indus’ colours reflecting my parental heritage, creating abstraction and layering with tones and harmonies.
The challenge for me is to develop work that is innovative, fresh and unchartered yet rooted in traditional origins.
The team at WYPW support, encourage and promote artistic talent and learning, through the art of making prints and is a must place to visit in west Yorkshire.