'Habitat'

Habitat

Habitat began as a large-scale linocut exploring the dense, interconnected structures found within natural environments.

The composition was developed through drawing directly onto the lino block, gradually building a complex network of roots, branches, leaves and organic forms. Rather than separating individual elements, I wanted them to overlap, compete for space and become part of one larger structure.

Sketching and cutting

The image was carved by hand from a single large lino block. At this scale, cutting becomes a slow process of moving between the whole composition and extremely small details.

The drawing changes continuously during carving. Some marks disappear, others become stronger, and new connections emerge between forms. The final image is therefore not simply a reproduction of the original reference photo, but the result of the entire carving process.

Habitat — Timeline

July 2024
The first drawings and planning for Habitat begin. The composition develops into a dense network of intertwined roots and branches.

Mid-July 2024
Carving begins on the large 140 × 93 cm lino block.

5 August 2024
The first work-in-progress images of the partially carved block are shared. By this point, a substantial part of the composition has already been cut.

27 August 2024
After approximately six weeks of carving, the Habitat lino block is completed.

31 August 2024
The first printing of Habitat takes place. The process is documented in a short video, which later reaches more than 120,000 views on Instagram.

Printing

Because of its scale, Habitat is printed by hand without a printing press.

The block is inked manually and the paper is placed directly onto its surface. Pressure is then applied gradually across the entire image, allowing the smallest carved marks and textures to transfer to the paper.

This physical method of printing has become an important part of my practice and allows me to work at a scale considerably larger than the printing press available to me.

>>Order unframed Habitat

>> Order framed Habitat

Exhibitions

Since its completion, Habitat has been selected for several major open exhibitions in the UK:

• Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition / Print Prize, 2024 — Bath
• Wells Art Contemporary, 2025 — Wells Cathedral
• RWA Annual Open Exhibition, 2025 — Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
• Imprint Art Fair, 2026 — RHS Lawrence Hall, London
  
  

2024 — Bath Society of Artists, Bath
Habitat receives the Print Prize at the Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition 2024.

Habitat was first exhibited in Bath in 2024, where it received the Print Prize. This began a sequence of exhibitions that took the work from Bath to Wells Cathedral, the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, and, in 2026, to Imprint Art Fair in London.

2025 — Wells Art Contemporary
Habitat is selected for Wells Art Contemporary 2025.

2025 — Printfest, Ulverston
Habitat is presented at Printfest 2025 in Ulverston, where it forms part of the body of work that helps Aga receive the Printmaker’s Printmaker Award, voted for by fellow exhibiting artists.

2025 — RWA Annual Open Exhibition
The work is exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy Annual Open Exhibition 2025.

From Habitat to other works

Over time, Habitat has also become a source material for further experimentation.

Fragments of the original composition have been printed separately, allowing individual areas of the image to exist as works in their own right. More recently, I have begun introducing hand stitching into these prints, using a red thread to create an additional root or line moving physically through the printed network.

In this way, Habitat continues to develop beyond the original edition. The lino block remains a kind of matrix from which new works and interventions can emerge.

2026 — Rootline I, Linocut Print and hand stitching, 56x76cm, Somerset Satin Paper
One of these fragments is transformed through hand stitching. A red embroidered root moves across the printed network, bringing the visual language of the later Red Line back into Habitat. >> order the print

2026 — Rootcode, printed on a fabric panel
The visual language of Habitat expands into Rootcode, a large-scale vertical work built from repeated impressions of the original Habitat lino block. By fragmenting and reassembling the image, the dense network of roots is transformed into a new, elongated structure. Rather than functioning as a reproduction of Habitat, Rootcode uses the original matrix as a source material for an entirely new work. >> order the print

2026 — Hand Printing Habitat

In 2026, Habitat also became the starting point for a new series of small-group hand-printing workshops in my studio.

Using the original award-winning lino block, participants print selected fragments of Habitat entirely by hand, without a printing press. The workshops open the process behind the work to others, allowing the original matrix to become not only a source for new artworks, but also a shared printing experience. >> see available workshops