Featured Stories
Exploring cities around the world through wonderful paintings and prints
Currently based in Bangkok, Adriana Méndez is a Mexican architect and artist who has traveled and lived to eight different countries around the world –Spain, Portugal, the United States of America and Perú to name but a few.
Adriana spent the time under restrictions by creating Cities Around Us, her latest series of colorful paintings and unique monotype prints.
Covid-19 has altered the way we live by secluding ourselves in our place. Understandably, art becomes essential for life when it takes us to an infinite imagination to somewhere preferable.
These perspectives of skyscrapers in New York at sunset, the color of contemporary Mexican architecture, the blue sky in Madrid and Paris, and the green rice fields in Bangkok were captured through the keen eyes of this architect with her fond memories. Adriana was born in an artistic family. Her father was a civil engineer and Adriana inherited a strong passion by building things with Lego bricks as her favorite childhood pastime.
Aside from these amazing colors, Cities Around Us is distinguished with monotype printmaking which is one-of-a-kind as its name suggested and seen in the one with Canadian maple leaf print.
What is a Monotype?
Monotype, in printmaking, is a technique that generally yields only one good impression from each prepared plate. Monotypes are prized because of their unique textural qualities. They are made by drawing on glass or a plate of smooth metal or stone with a greasy substance such as printer’s ink or oil paint. Then the drawing is pressed by hand onto a sheet of absorbent paper or is printed on an etching press. The pigment remaining on the plate is usually insufficient to make another print unless the original design is reinforced. Furthermore, any subsequent prints will invariably differ from the first one, because variations in repainting and printing are inevitable. Since each is unique and manually executed, monotypes cannot be considered a technique of multiple replication. But, because they are prints on paper, they are usually classed with printmaking media.
The origin of Monotype
The beginning of this printmaking technique was uncertain. However, it was popular in the 19th century thanks to the reputed artists such as Edgar Degas and Camille Pissaro. Later in the 20th century, Marc Chagall celebrated it with his colorful works in 1960s.
Get started with monotype printing is easy and it creates one-of-a-kind piece.
Watch a step-by-step guide here
Cities Around Us is on view until this Sunday 28 November in Room 249 and 250 on 2nd floor. Free entry.
If you are interested in artwork purchases, please contact email: [email protected] or Line: @rivercitybangkok
