RePrint Makes Its Mark as Chester Visual Arts Bids Farewell to Reimagined Retail Space

Chester Visual Arts is to present RePrint: A Contemporary Printmaking Retrospective, the fourth and final exhibition in its acclaimed reimagined space, within Chester’s Grosvenor Shopping Centre.

The much-loved pop-up gallery marks its grand finale with a vibrant showcase celebrating the past, present and future of printmaking.

Running from 3rd October to 15th November, this free public exhibition unites 21 exceptional printmakers in a vibrant celebration of the oldest forms of printmaking including etching, engraving, woodcut and lithography, all reinterpreted with a bold contemporary edge.

Since opening on 3rd October, RePrint has already welcomed over 3,000 visitors, confirming a surge of local interest in the often-overlooked world of printmaking.

Far more than a traditional retrospective, RePrint is a powerful statement on an art form often misunderstood and undervalued. Each artist offers a unique exploration of technique and texture, from the tactile pull of metal plates to the meditative rhythm of carved wood, demonstrating how these ancient crafts continue to inspire today’s most innovative contemporary artists.

Chair of Chester Visual Arts, Alistair Tucker, commented:

“Printmaking has long existed in the shadow of other art forms. Through RePrint, we’re shining a light on the artists who are keeping these centuries-old techniques alive and evolving for a new generation.”

The exhibition also nods to Cheshire’s rich printing heritage, a region once renowned for its thriving block and textile printing industries throughout the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. By revisiting these roots, Chester Visual Arts (CVA) celebrates the city’s enduring creativity and reaffirms its mission to make world-class art accessible to everyone who lives, works, and visits here.

Among the 21 exhibiting artists are Louisa Boyd and Jason Hicklin, whose works epitomise the tension between precision and spontaneity that defines the printmaking process.

Louisa Boyd commented:

“Every mark in printmaking carries a lineage; of the plate, the pressure, the ink. To show how artists are pushing those boundaries today is deeply exciting. RePrint shows that print is not archival or static, but alive.”

Jason Hicklin added:

“Printmaking demands constraint and possibility in equal measure. You are always at the mercy of material, yet you’re shaping every outcome. RePrint gives voice to those hidden dialogues between craft and concept.”

Hosted by Chester Visual Arts, a local charity founded in 2016, the exhibition underscores the organisation’s commitment to revitalising underused spaces and embedding culture into the daily rhythm of city life. The gallery’s innovative transformation of a former H&M retail unit has welcomed over 20,000 visitors across four major exhibitions, helping to redefine what public art engagement can look like in a high-street setting.

As the final exhibition in this much-loved space, RePrint marks the end of an era and the beginning of new opportunities for Chester Visual Arts as it looks to the future. The charity welcomes anyone with information about, or access to, vacant spaces in the city to get in touch to discuss potential venues for future exhibitions and workshops.

Exhibition Details:

• Dates: 3rd October – 15th November
• Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm
• Venue: CVA Exhibition Space, Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Chester CH1 1DE

Admission: Free and open to all; artwork available for purchase and donations to support the charity’s future work welcomed