About the Studio
Chayote Press was founded by Israel Campos to provide artists with the studio space to work with print media. Chayote Press is named in honor of the artist’s grandmother who is called Chayito as a term of endearment.
The studio is located in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles and serves artists in South LA. Printmaking has a long history of collaborative work and this is something that the studio actively promotes. The goal of the studio is to create a network of professional artists in South LA to increase the area’s cultural prominence. This is intended to serve as a safeguard against gentrification and to unify the artists to advocate for representation in galleries.
Course Descriptions
CHP 101: Relief Printmaking (Cost $600)
Course Description: Discover the vibrant world of relief printmaking in this beginner-friendly course. Explore various techniques such as linocuts and woodcuts while mastering carving skills and ink application. Through hands-on sessions, learn the essentials of design, carving, and printing processes. Unleash your creativity and create striking prints while gaining insights into the historical and contemporary aspects of relief printing. 3 projects expected.
Prerequisites: None. Open to artists, printmakers, and enthusiasts.
CHP 201: Mokuhanga Printmaking (Cost $600)
Course Description: Explore the ancient art of Mokuhanga, the Japanese woodblock printmaking technique, in this immersive course. Discover traditional carving, printing, and color layering using Japanese tools and materials. Dive into the serene process, mastering intricate designs and layered prints while gaining insights into the rich cultural heritage and evolution of Moku Hanga. 3 projects expected.
Prerequisites: None. Open to artists, printmakers, and enthusiasts.
CHP 301: Intaglio Printmaking (Cost $650)
Course Description: Discover the art of intaglio printmaking in this immersive course. Learn various techniques like etching, drypoint, and aquatint to create prints with depth and texture. Explore mark-making, ink application, and historical contexts while mastering the intricacies of line work and tonal variations. 3 projects expected.
Prerequisites: None. Open to artists, printmakers, and enthusiasts.
CHP 401: Multidisciplinary Printmaking (Cost $650)
Course Description: Unleash your creativity in this dynamic class exploring a fusion of relief, intaglio, collagraphy, digital, and experimental printmaking techniques. Dive into hands-on sessions where you'll blend traditional and contemporary methods to create unique prints. Guided by a skilled instructor, experiment with diverse materials. Learn to combine processes, materials, and unconventional approaches to craft innovative prints that showcase a mix of textures, colors, and visual elements. 3 projects expected.
Prerequisites: Open to artists, printmakers, and enthusiasts with prior printmaking experience. A portfolio must be submitted to info@chayotepress.com to be considered for the course.
CHP 500: Independent Study (Cost $800 + 10% of your edition)
Course Description: Work one-on-one with the master printmaker to develop your own edition. You will be provided with all the necessary materials to bring your idea to life, you will be able to create pieces using relief printmaking, intaglio, collagraph, mokuhanga, photo-based printmaking, silkscreen or other experimental processes. You will have to complete your project within 7 weeks. Your edition of at most 20 prints, can be printed by the master printmaker. 1 project per course.
Prerequisites: None. A detailed proposal must be submitted to info@chayotepress.com
Available Classes
Classes are offered to artists that are interested in exploring print media. No prior experience is necessary for most classes. The studio provides the studio space for artists to learn how to work with etching, relief printmaking, mokuhanga, collagraphy, photo-based printmaking, and mix media approaches to printmaking. Classes meet once per week for 7-weeks. Plates, ink, and studio tools are provided. A material list will be provided. Paper must be provided by the artists. Classes are 2.5-hours long, enrollment is limited to 5 students per class, and meet weekends.
How to Apply
Please submit the following form to begin the enrollment process. As part of the application process, you will meet with the master printmaker to ensure that your goals align with the classes. Once your application is reviewed and accepted, you will receive an email notification with your invoice. Payment must be made prior to the start of the class. Refund information will be emailed to you and the material list for the class. For more information please email info@chayotepress.com
About the Artist
Israel is an interdisciplinary L.A. based artist that works with paintings, print media, digital media, and artist books. His work blends Mesoamerican iconography, generational myths, oral folklore and contemporary pop culture to collapse the centuries separating the different artforms. The work seeks to reveal the present as the inevitable outcome of interconnected past events and decisions. By seeing the past clearly, we can ask the right questions of the present to actively shape the future.
Israel graduated with a bachelors from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2011 and acquired an MFA from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison in 2015. His work is in the permanent collections of the Kohler Art Library, the UCSC Digital Art Research Center, the Zuckerman Museum of Art, and the Oregon College of Art and Craft. He has exhibited in venues across the country, including the ArtHelix Gallery in New York City, the Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art in Portland and is an active member of the Vox Pop printmaking artist collective and the California Society of Printmakers. He also runs and operates Chayote Press.