Oli Fowler pulling a screen print in the studio

Screen Printing · Original Works

"My fascination started in 1985, when I pulled a Pop Art book off my parents' shelf. I was captivated by those massive bold blocks of 60s and 70s colour.

When I asked my mum how it was made, she gave me a two-word answer that changed everything: screen printing.

I was hooked from that moment on, and all these years later, I'm still exploring how deep that rabbit hole goes."

The journey, in eight beats
Ridge Street, Watford
Hatfield Uni / Ridgeway Watford

Mid-nineties, the Goldsmiths era, Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas in the air. I chose a textiles foundation because I thought you could only screenprint onto fabric. Shows how little I knew. Shows how much I already wanted it.

1 / 8

If it's fun I want some

8 months work  |  New collection

A Feeling Of Pride
£4,000 — Original Artwork
Etcha Sketcha
£4,000 — Original Artwork
Cowabunga
£3,000 — Original Artwork
Change Re Arrange
£3,000 — Original Artwork
Process shots
Studio workbench with a Pantone swatch book, squeegee and ink tin
01 Colour Matching
Oli at the ink station surrounded by paint tins
02 Mixing
Pouring ink into a small test pot
03 Testing
Drawing flower outlines onto the screen positive with a marker
04 Positives
Checking a fresh print against the screen for registration
05 Registration
Pouring hot pink ink onto the exposed screen
06 Pouring
Pulling the squeegee through pink ink across the screen
07 Pulling
Lifting the corner of a wet print with a blade
08 Peeling
Peeling the print away from the screen
09 Separating
Lifting a finished floral print off the press bed
10 Off The Press
Overhead view of finished prints drying in the studio
11 Drying
Reaching for a squeegee on the wall rack
12 Cleaning Down
Framing + process

Framed by Clark & Prince

If it's fun, I want some; if it's a chore, I don't want it anymore.
Oli Fowler in his studio

Welcome to the Studio

Eight months making new Originals feels like such a long time. That collection took a lot out of me. It also gave a lot back. That's usually how it works.

If you're here, you've found your way to the studio. Come in. Have a look around. I don't know what happens next and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.

What I know: I'm going to keep making work. Keep pushing until I'm just about falling over the edge. That's where the interesting stuff happens.

Glad you're here. Let's see where this goes.

Oli Fowler signature

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