The Art of Screen Printing
Kenzie De is a printmaker and illustrator living and working in Phoenixville, PA. If you’ve done a PYO (print your own) shirt event at First Friday, or purchased local merch from places like Ravensgate or Perch Plants, you have work printed from Kenzie De’s studio. In this interview, we sat down with Kenzie to learn how her love of screen printing started and what she’s printing up next for the Phoenixville Art Walk.
Emily: When did you first become interested in printmaking?
Kenzie: I’m originally from Utah and went to college out there. The school I attended didn’t have a printmaking program at the time, but I found an internship opportunity at Copper Palate Press, a printmaking art collective in Salt Lake City. Oddly enough the owner was from Philly. At the internship, I learned all about silkscreening, linocut, and how printmaking can be used in installations.
E: What initially drew you to the screen printing part of printmaking?
K: The versatility screen printing offers is a good fit for my creative practice. I like how it can be used commercially, but it can also be incorporated into fine art. I also find it’s a very accessible way to create. The very first shirt I ever printed was when I was a kid. My local library was hosting a print your own shirt event with a dragon illustration. I actually still have that shirt. It feels magical to make something you can wear.
E: How have you incorporated screen printing into your fine art?
K: Last fall I created an alter cloth series for a solo show at The Jeweled Warrior. I hand-dyed vintage linens and cut and sewed them into wall-hanging tapestries. I then printed a two-color screen print design on them and accented different areas with embroidery. Each tapestry was a one-of-a-kind work of art that used screen printing.
E: What are you screen printing for the Art Walk?
K: A lot! The first thing is tote bags that are only available for preorder. What’s fun about the totes is the first 30 orders will be filled with goodies from the artists and businesses participating in the walk. Next, I’ll be doing a small batch of Art Walk shirts exclusive to the participating artists. Then during the Art Walk, I’ll be hosting a PYO shirt event in my studio (location 14a) where people can print a shirt with the Art Walk logo.
