Eleanor Russell- Hsieh | Inkcaps, 2022

Drypoint

27 x 35 cm

Edition of 15

Cornwall based Eleanor Russell-Hsieh’s work explores the beauty and importance of flora and fauna. She experiments with various mark-making techniques in her printmaking – from the delicate scratching of drypoint that speaks to her love of drawing, to the looser monotype method. Forest dwellers, ocean oddities or dark, woodland vignettes – all work together to evoke a sense of intrigue in the viewer, inviting them to consider what each image represents beyond the nostalgia they might see on the surface. Russell-Hsieh’s recent print, Inkcaps, explores fungi and their role in soil health, carbon sequestration and other ecosystem functions. Using drypoint techniques to create a sinister fairytale scene, Russell-Hsieh plays with viewers’ perceptions of fungi. Are they, in fact, sinister? Or much more valuable to our planet than we think? Russell-Hsieh graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2003 with a BA in Paper Conservation. She has exhibited since 2013 in a wide range of independent joint exhibitions, and her work is shown in a number of galleries in Cornwall.