Fen Ditton Gallery’s annual Contemporary Printmaking Prize celebrates the vitality and diversity of contemporary printmaking, showcasing 40 outstanding original prints selected from over 500 submissions.
L to R: Taking Wing, aquatint, by Jane Gardiner; Wedded Rocks, woodcut, by Felicity Warbrick; Angel for Shinji Ikari, hand-finished mokuhanga, by Inga Eičaitė
The exhibition runs until 14th June, in the picturesque riverside village of Fen Ditton, near Cambridge. The curation and hanging is always good at the gallery, combining works that resonate together in the semi-domestic setting of an enchanting house, backing onto a magical country garden.
L to R: Maelstrom, screenprint, Alan MacKenzie; 22 mins : 05 secs in February, pinhole photography, polymer photogravure, chine collé, Jess Townsend
I spoke to Niall MacCrann first and was delighted when, an hour or so later, he was awarded Fen Ditton Gallery’s annual prize, for his fascinating etching entitled ‘Someone’s Firebombed McQuaid’s Pharmacy’. I was keen to hear about the narrative elements in his artwork, which features complex imagery, like a visual stream of consciousness – a snapshot of a child’s inner thoughts, as seen through the grown up artist’s gaze, perhaps? Niall, a painter and printmaker,based at St. Barnabas Press in Cambridge was happy to share some insights:
Niall MacCrann next to his award winning etching with aquatint ‘Someone’s Firebombed McQuaid’s Pharmacy’ portrait © Emma Boden 2026
“Like much of my work it is based on a bits of observational drawing that I’ve arranged and composed into something that reflects my inner concerns, and reflections, about the world, current affairs, and how these clash with my childhood memories. So the setting here is inspired by my uncle’s house, which is where I spent most of the summers, and most of the imagery is sort of invading that – modernity invading that childhood space I suppose. The riot police’s presence isn’t a good or bad symbol, it’s more about conflict impinging, when there doesn’t need to be a conflict.”
Niall was born in Ireland, where his mother grew up on a farm, but spent his childhood in Kent. I wondered if the young boy, immersed in a book, was a self-portrait. “This is based on a photo that I saw in a museum, so it’s not me exactly. I hadn’t really thought about that.” But he agreed that it might be subliminal.
‘Someone’s Firebombed McQuaid’s Pharmacy’, etching with aquatint, Paper size: 65 × 72cm © the artist 2026
According to Gallery Manager Hannah Munby, Niall’s winning print was selected for its strength and ambition, standing out for its exceptional craftsmanship: “We were all intrigued by Niall’s print, attracted to the strong narrative, as well as the fluidity and textures of the mark-making. His practice demonstrates a thoughtful engagement with the possibilities of the medium, balancing traditional print processes with a fresh and highly individual artistic perspective. The competition was really strong, but we felt that Niall’s work was a real talking point.”
Elizabeth Jane Taylor, next to her ‘Disco Chair’ screenprint, portrait © Emma Boden 2026
I singled out a few other works, including the adjoining, and completely contrasting, ‘Disco Chair’ screenprint, by Elizabeth Jane Taylor. I wondered where her inspiration had come from, and loved hearing about this piece, which explores light and colour to great effect:
Disco Chair, screenprint, Image size: 28 × 41cm, by Elizabeth Jane Taylor
“The background story is that I was at a disco for a friend’s 80th birthday… and it took me ages to work out all the light effects going round the room. I’ve got the pictures that I originally took of that evening and I had one of the ‘disco chair’. I actually spent more than a year thinking about it, because I couldn’t work out how I was going to represent the different shadows. It took me around 8 hours to prepare the stencils. I then printed, in layers obviously, starting with the green, then the pink, then the yellow, and so on, followed by the chair frame and the inset.”
The original Disco Chair photograph by Elizabeth Jane Taylor
Elizabeth kindly offered to share the original photograph that she worked from which brings her vision even more alive. The pop of colours definitely drew me in, and I particularly appreciated seeing her clear cut, pared back graphic shapes exhibited next to Niall’s intricately detailed monochrome work.
Colours hooked me in again, this time deployed in a softer way, with a tangible sense of movement, dappled and hazy, evoking a light breeze rustling through the leaves above the water. Esther Douglas’ ‘The Paddlers‘ is another limited edition screenprint. She described some of her process and inspiration:
Esther Douglas next to her The Paddlers screenprint, portrait © Emma Boden 2026
“It’s made from six screens and six layers of colour, built up on top of one another, it’s quite painterly. I’m based up in Glasgow so it’s based on a river on the outskirts of the city, with friends, capturing the texture and the colour of ordinary moments.”
The Paddlers, screenprint, paper size: 29.5 × 38.5cm, by Esther Douglas
‘Last of the Light‘, an intriguing still life by Sarah Vines, delivered reflections in an entirely different way, exploring transparency with a precariously balanced group of empty beer glasses, displayed on a vivid cloth. I was really taken by the resonant story behind this work, which Sarah shared, especially since I became involved with the End of Life Doula community last year. How those that we have loved and lost live on in memories and through symbolism, especially through the prism of creativity, is of particular interest, and as such, I was delighted to hear about Sarah’s meaningful tribute to a fellow artist and cherished member of her extended family:
Sarah Vines next to her ‘Last of the Light’ screenprint © Emma Boden 2026
“This is a 9-layer screenprint exploring memory, nostalgia, and loss. The glasses in the print belonged to Derek Chapman, a master cabinetmaker, and my partner Ben’s stepfather. During many family trips to Belgium, he collected beer glasses. Derek sadly lost a long, hard battle to cancer in 2017. Ben rescued the glasses from going to landfill when his mother moved, and they came into our possession.
Last of the Light, screenprint, paper size: 86 × 63cm, by Sarah Vines
What really struck me about the glasses when I saw them was how they reflected a chapter of Derek’s life. He would not have owned this collection of glasses if he hadn’t married into a Belgian family, and they reflect many summers spent there. In another way, they are an extremely fragile selection of objects echoing the fragility and brittleness of his health.
Kittiwake, Inner Farne, etching with aquatint, paper size: 70 × 70cm, by Chris Otley
I met Chris Otley at one of his earliest exhibitions, at The Truman Brewery, a few years ago. His work is so distinctive and always a pleasure to encounter up close. His meticulously detailed depictions of birds and other creatures in their natural habitat encapsulate an energy and life force that is immensely compelling. One could almost smell the sea and hear the gull’s cry against the roar of sea and wind in Chris’ etching with aquatint, ‘Kittiwake, Inner Farne‘.
Balance I, 2025, screenprint, paper size 42.5 × 57.5cm, by Karina Savage
There is a joy to be found in abstract art that offers an altogether different experience, and here the stories can be more elusive, such as with Karina Savage’s ‘Balance I’. Her gallery profile shares some pointers, notably that: “Through abstracted visual language, she uses a restrained palette of colour, line, and shape to record the dialogue between external observation and internal feeling. These prints are not literal depictions but distillations, paring down experiences to their essential elements to define the boundary between what was seen and what is remembered.”
Bamboo Garden, oil based ink, unique print, print size: 59 × 84cm, by Jane Shepherdson
Jane’s profile explains her approach, which: “… involves a gradual movement away from literal representation toward abstraction. This is evident in pieces such as Bamboo Garden, which originated from a series of gel prints. Each iteration became increasingly abstract, stripping back the initial inspiration until only the essential character of the subject remained.” She always had a great eye, and clearly that doesn’t just apply to fashion.
Dive Perfect, screenprint, framed size: 31cm x 33.5cm, by Lorraine Botbol
The Contemporary Printmaking Prize exhibition closes on Sunday. Plunge in and take a look in person if you’re nearby, or visit the Gallery’s website for more information.
