First launched in Japan in 1974, the Risograph machine was presented as an alternative to photocopying as, at the time, it was the fastest and cheapest way of making between 50 and 5,000 photocopies. They were used by institutions, such as political parties, hospitals and schools to print information quickly and cheaply. 

The emergence of laser printing surpassed the efficiency of the Risograph, leading to its obsolescence. However, in the last decade, the machine became popular among creatives and artists because it can print in colours that digital printing cannot replicate, such as fluorescent and metallic inks, at a low cost. This shift has resulted in a linguistic change as Risograph now signifies a medium for creativity and artistic expression opposed to bureaucracy and limitation.

Etta Voorsanger-Brill is a researcher and designer working with the transformative possibilities of printmaking, focussing on Risograph printing. She explores how societal norms can be reimagined and reformed through Risography and presents the machine as a catalyst for collective imagination. Etta’s work questions the temporal bounds of art-making, asking us to playfully traverse past/present/future in connection with printmaking. 

Etta has completed an MA in Gender, Sexuality and Culture from the University of Manchester and a BA in Graphic Design from Central Saint Martins. Etta has collaborated on projects with the Royal Academy, Queer Intersections Oxford and Penguin Random House. She is currently an associate lecturer at the University of Arts London and Oxford Brookes University.