{"id":1114,"date":"2018-05-15T17:20:27","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T17:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/uncategorized\/xfztgxcf\/"},"modified":"2018-05-15T17:20:27","modified_gmt":"2018-05-15T17:20:27","slug":"xfztgxcf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Linoleum Block Printing in Singapore by Westside Prints"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Westside<\/p>\n

Based in Singapore, Westside Prints<\/a> found linoleum block printing to be a great creative outlet outside of the day-to-day graphic design studies at school.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Booze Day!\u201d \u201cWelcome to reality!\u201d are the types of birthday cards that Chen prints in his studio. If you like smart sayings and humorous comics that make you smile and then smile again, you\u2019ll like Westside Prints where each hand-carved linocut<\/a> print art comes from mindful observations and succinct expressions of a graphic designer. How are linocut art prints and graphic design different, and how do they inspire each other? Here\u2019s what Chen thinks.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. What is the style and the brand message of Westside Print<\/a>?<\/h2>\n

There is no particular style in the Westside Print<\/a> as we aim to work towards an experimental portfolio. The works in the shop varies from illustration to typography. As a graphic design student, all the works are often related to the design culture and are closely related to my daily life. The brand message of Westside Prints is \u201cquality handmade goods\u201d. All of our products are crafted by hand with quality check every time to ensure our customers only get the good products.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. From \u201cWelcome to Reality\u201d to \u201cHappy Booze Day\u201d, your graphic designs easily make people smile. How do you find humor in life?<\/h2>\n

\"Westside<\/p>\n

For me, humor comes in many forms. Take a look around and observe the people. Take a long bus ride or train ride and listen to daily conversations. That\u2019s how I find humor from my life. It\u2019s interesting to also look at online comments, puns and videos. It\u2019s in the daily activities that you will find humor and apply it to design.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. What is the \u201cwest side\u201d of Singapore where you are based in? How does it inspire you?<\/h2>\n
\n

The western part is often deemed as boring and I wish to change this stereotype.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

West side in Singapore is actually a non-creative part of Singapore. The life in the western part of Singapore is actually a industrial area compare to the creative cluster in the center of Singapore<\/a>. The western part is often deemed as boring and I wish to change this stereotype. Hence, I name my brand as Westside Prints, staying true to my roots of producing work in the west of Singapore.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. Where do you find all the ideas and topics for your designs? Share with us your favorite piece of work.<\/h2>\n

As mentioned previously, my ideas and topics revolve around my daily life. I am currently looking to go in a general direction for my brand. My favorite piece of work would be \u201cWipe Till Your Ass Shine\u201d, the toilet paper print.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This is inspired by the Chinese saying of \u201chaving someone wipe your butt\u201d, meaning to have someone clean up your mess. This piece of work constantly reminds me that I shouldn\u2019t be doing work halfway and I should get it done properly. It can be viewed plainly as a funny sentence, or as a print with a deeper meaning. It requires two layers of understanding to fully understand the poster.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. How do you manage to run Westside Prints while still in school?<\/h2>\n

I am running Westside Prints<\/a> on a monthly basis for now, because being in a design school, the school projects can easily drain me out. I like to work on my linocuts and use it as a form of de-stress. It also serves as another platform for me to do hands-on work as compared to graphic design nowadays which relies heavily on computer graphics.<\/p>\n

\"Westside<\/p>\n

New ideas sometimes also come from my school projects, such as portraits of graphic designers. They are a big inspiration for me while I was studying my first year in university.<\/p>\n

\"Kenya<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. Would you be interested in collaborations or customized projects? What would be your dream work?<\/h2>\n

Collaborations and customized works are definitely my goals. I think they are the best to expand my horizon and to reach out to other designers beyond Singapore.<\/p>\n

Collaborative work is my next target for Westside Prints as I see many potentials in turning illustrations to linocut prints.<\/p>\n

My dream work is to publish a book that is printed out by linocut printmaking. The next dream work will be to carve and print for movie posters like how they did it in the old times.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

7. Between today\u2019s technology of 3D printing to laser cutting, why do you still choose linocut printmaking?<\/h2>\n

Westside Prints \"slow\" road surface marking linocut print art<\/p>\n

3D printing and laser cutting are very technology-reliant and mechanical. Every inch of the printing looks rather dead with no human touch to it. I choose linocut printmaking<\/a> as a craft that is very accessible and easy to pick up. In addition, linocut printmaking builds up my patience because each individual piece requires dedication and time to carve. It is a good form of craft that hones different aspects of your skills.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

8. Lastly, please give some words of advice to aspiring designers!<\/h2>\n

\"Stop<\/p>\n

Do not be afraid to try. Stop thinking so much, go on and experiment!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Featured Shop stories<\/h3>\n

\u25ba \u25ba Featured Shop | Feiromo men’s apparel
<\/a>\u25ba \u25ba Featured Shop | Soyee handmade lighting
<\/a>\u25ba \u25ba Featured Shop | Leatherwood leather and wooden bags
<\/a>\u25ba \u25ba Fatured Shop | Comma\u2019s Wood-carved Cat Pile Game <\/a><\/p>\n

Edit: Melissa<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a><\/p>\n

Tamago Sushi Linocut Stamp – Handmade Linocut Stamp Rubber Stamp<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Taipei Taiwan Print – Singapore Linocut Printmaking Poster<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Fish & Trees \u2014 Vernacular Taiwan Print, Linocut Handmade Print, Limited Edition<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Stop Talking, Start Doing – Linocut Printmaking A6 Notebook<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Vintage Inspired Linocut Toilet Paper<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Happy Booze Day\u2014Linocut Printmaking Funny Birthday Card<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Erik Spiekermann , The 7 Noble Designers – Linocut Printmaking Edition Print<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Happy New Wrinkles Day \u2014 Pastel Greeting Card, Funny Birthday Card<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Matthew Carter, The 7 Noble Designers – Linocut Printmaking Edition Print<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Old is The New Black – Handmade Linocut Greeting Card, Funny Birthday Card<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Welcome To Reality – Linocut Printmaking Greeting Cards<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Slow \u2014 Limited Edition Taiwan Print, Handmade Linocut Print<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Based in Singapore, Westside Prints found linoleum block printing to be a great creative outlet outside of the day-to-day graphic design studies at school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":1113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"description":"Based in Singapore, Westside Prints found linoleum block printing to be a great creative outlet outside of the day-to-day graphic design studies at school.","tids":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3227,3325,3377,3386,3396,3476,3514],"class_list":["post-1114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","tag-meet_the_makers","tag-linocut","tag-singapore","tag-art","tag-featured_shop","tag-printmaking","tag-block_printing"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Art of Linoleum Block Printing in Singapore by Westside Prints - Zine | Pinkoi | The place for design gift ideas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Art of Linoleum Block Printing in Singapore by Westside Prints - Zine | Pinkoi | The place for design gift ideas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Based in Singapore, Westside Prints found linoleum block printing to be a great creative outlet outside of the day-to-day graphic design studies at school.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zine | Pinkoi | The place for design gift ideas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-05-15T17:20:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn02.pinkoi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/03\/22075806\/15078453584507.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"700\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Zine | Pinkoi | The place for design gift ideas\",\"description\":\"Just another Pinkoi Blog Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn02.pinkoi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/03\/22075806\/15078453584507.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn02.pinkoi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/03\/22075806\/15078453584507.jpg\",\"width\":700,\"height\":700},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/\",\"name\":\"The Art of Linoleum Block Printing in Singapore by Westside Prints - Zine | Pinkoi | The place for design gift ideas\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-05-15T17:20:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-05-15T17:20:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/9f670b2e9292394b7dd9de97847ccc2f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/interviews\/xfztgxcf\/#webpage\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/9f670b2e9292394b7dd9de97847ccc2f\",\"name\":\"Melissa\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f56cd33b8ee12f8e6c9fb7e6fec7959d47ca5ee863d799b14d3fa20df0c3877a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f56cd33b8ee12f8e6c9fb7e6fec7959d47ca5ee863d799b14d3fa20df0c3877a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Melissa\"},\"description\":\"Writer, translator, and editor at Pinkoi. Drinks milk tea every other day, is often lost in thought or being distracted by new ideas. Loves nature-inspired designs and the nuance between word choices. Melissa loves spreading ideas across cultures.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","modified_by":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cdn02.pinkoi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/03\/22075806\/15078453584507.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pinkoi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}