The University of Liverpool’s Victoria Gallery & Museum is set to present a new exhibition featuring more than 40 prints by British artists including Frank Auerbach (1931 – 2024), Lucian Freud (1922 – 2011), and Dorothea Wight (1944 – 2013).
Running from Saturday 13 June 2026 to Saturday 30 January 2027, the free exhibition, Making a Mark: Artworks from the Studio Prints Collection, presents 45 works created at a pioneering printmaking studio established by Wight in 1968.
Wight was a British artist and printmaker whose work is held in a number of important international collections, including the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Making a Mark explores the printmaking practices of seven artists who created work at Studio Prints.
Studio Prints rose to prominence in the bustling commercial art world of 1960s London, when there was an increase in demand for prints by contemporary artists. It quickly developed a reputation for its focus on high quality artist prints, and the workshop became a dynamic meeting place for artists. The close collaboration between artist and printer was a guiding principle for Studio Prints from the beginning.
In 1974 Dorothea employed the artist Marc Balakjian, who joined the workshop as a printing ‘problem solver’. The pair grew close and married three years later; they went on to oversee the work of Studio Prints for the next 30 years.
Marc and Dorothea were also skilled artists. Alongside running a busy print studio, they found time to create their own work, each developing a distinctive and precise printing style using mezzotint. A number of these prints will be included in the exhibition. Also represented in Making a Mark are Frank Auerbach, Stephen Conroy, Lucian Freud, Celia Paul and Leon Kossoff, all of whom joined Studio Prints in the 1980s-90s and remained loyal to Marc and Dorothea in their printmaking practices.
In 2019 the University of Liverpool was gifted a collection of prints created at Studio Prints through the Arts Council England Cultural Gifts Scheme. This exhibition will be the first time these works have been displayed since entering the collection.
Sarah Cox, Curator of Art and Exhibitions at the Victoria Gallery and Museum, said: “We’re delighted to be sharing these works for the first time since they were gifted. Not only does the display give our visitors the opportunity to see exceptionally beautiful works from some of Britain’s most important artists, but it also tells a unique and compelling story about the convergence of technical skill and creative ambition.
“Each print in the exhibition is the result of exchange and collaboration. Marc and Dorothea understood the results sought by the artists who came through their studio and used their considerable expertise to create the prints the artist envisaged. Marc spoke of how important it was for the printer ‘to get into the mind of the artist’. This led to long-lasting collaborative relationships between artist and printer.”
Joanne Fitton, Deputy Director of Libraries, Museums and Galleries said: “We are hugely grateful to have been gifted these wonderful works by Arts Council England. They represent a key moment in art history and are a fantastic addition to our collections. We are delighted to be displaying them, and hope visitors enjoy the opportunity to experience these skilful prints up close.”
Image: Thief, 1992 (etching on Buff Somerset Velvet paper) by Stephen Conroy. Acquired through the Cultural Gifts Scheme, administered by Arts Council England. © Stephen Conroy.
