Sarah Hopkins

My work explores man-made landscapes with a focus on industrial and urban environments. I'm also interested in my heritage and the history of objects and places. Through printmaking, and collaborating with other creative practitioners, I challenge myself to explore new ways to present my observations. I create intricate, hand-cut paper stencils, and print layers of vibrant colour to build my images by hand. I like to push the boundaries of the process and break the rules of traditional printmaking by layering light pigments over dark, enjoying the translucency and opacity of the medium.

Q&A

Artist Statement

DIPTYCH .. a collaborative projectIn March 2022 Wales Arts International and the Arts Council of Wales awarded funding for DIPTYCH, a collaborative printmaking project between Sarah Hopkins (Wales) and Muhammad Atif Khan (Pakistan).Throughout the year that followed, both artists created and exchanged their work via courier for each other to complete. The outcome is a collection of 16 limited edition prints. Working on top of each other’s images was a daunting prospect, but they found freedom in the process as they responded to each other visually. Each completed print tells its own story and is a unique combination of visual vocabulary with references drawn from their own cultures and heritage. Background:Under the banner of the Festival of Muslim Cultures UK 2006, Sarah Hopkins managed the Festival of Muslim Cultures Print Project at Swansea Print Workshop. As part of the year-long celebration, she was responsible for hosting Pakistani artists, Muhammad Atif Khan and Aleem Dad Khan for a three month residency in Swansea. This led to an extensive programme of events and exhibitions in Wales, and a reciprocal programme in Pakistan. In 2007, She curated a Contemporary Welsh Printmakers exhibition which toured to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Through this cultural and creative exchange, she developed links with the National College of Arts, Lahore and developed a strong partnership with Pakistani printmaker, Muhammad Atif Khan.