Exhibition - Studio Prints: Creative Collaboration

Discover the world of Studio Prints through a new exhibition celebrating the Balakjian Collection. Gifted to the Cooper Gallery through Arts Council England’s Cultural Gifts Scheme, the newly acquired group of prints, plates, and drawings offer a glimpse into the art of printmaking.
 
At the heart of the exhibition are Dorothea Wight and Marc Balakjian, the printers behind Studio Prints, one of London’s most influential printing studios. From the late 1960s, their workshop became a creative home for some of Britain’s most acclaimed print artists, including Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, Stephen Conroy and Celia Paul. Throughout the printmaking process, Wight and Balakjian collaborated closely with the artists to produce highly detailed and technical works.
 
This exhibition offers a glimpse into the artistry and craft behind printmaking. Visitors can explore plates, drawings, trial proofs and multiple versions of the same design, revealing the processes that shape a final print.
 
A sepia-toned illustration of a window with closed curtains on both sides, through which a glowing landscape of rolling hills and a cloudy sky is visible.
'Late Summer' by Dorothea Wight From the Studio Prints Archive, courtesy of the Balakjian Estate