Artist in Residence at Walterio's Paez Printmaking Workshop
Guayaquil - Ecuador 2013

What is Collagraph and what I did there...

Walterio Páez had a legendary printmaking workshop in one of the old houses in Guayaquil. The space was expansive, filled with artworks by artists who had passed through his studio over the years. I returned to my hometown in 2013 and embarked on a six-month artist residency there.

Walterio had, over time, mastered a printmaking technique called collagraph—a mixed-media process he developed through years of practice. He spent extended periods in Havana, where he learned and refined the technique at Taller Experimental de Grafica de la Habana.
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Collagraphy is an experimental printmaking method in which a plate is constructed by gluing varied textures, materials, and found objects onto a rigid base, such as mat board. The surface is then sealed and inked, either using intaglio (to capture ink in recessed areas) or relief (to ink raised surfaces), and finally printed onto paper using a press or by hand.

From this experience, I brought several editions of work back to London, including the Fossils collection, which I presented in my retrospective in April 2026. During the exhibition, many people asked about the technique, so I felt it would be valuable to share the process, along with images from my time in residence.
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Walterio is no longer with us, but his legacy endures—as long as we remember him and his iconic “Gallos,” a series of A4 prints he was working on during my stay. I don’t know what became of his workshop or his collection, but what remains certain is that the experience was extraordinary.