Vanessa Milan

Printmaker

©SusannaPozzoli

©Martina Rosa

©SusannaPozzoli

©Martina Rosa

Venetian art printing and illustration

Vanessa uses several printing techniques including etching on zinc
She adopts a pictorial approach to silkscreen printing
She leans towards imperfect graphic approaches that reveal the texture of the colour

In 2022, Vanessa Milan opened her Venetian atelier where she uses fine art printing techniques as a means of expression. She creates limited edition engravings and silkscreens with an instinctive and exploratory approach. Her artistic experimentation is combined with historical research. The blue tones of her creations blend with the pale pink of hydrographic maps, conjuring up scenes of the Venetian lagoon she has experienced firsthand. Vanessa painstakingly prints and hand-binds small series of independent books. She is also a poster illustrator, and promotes a number of joint ventures with local associations, combining social commitment with her work.

Interview

©SusannaPozzoli

©SusannaPozzoli

Where were you educated?: I went to art school, and then to the Academy of Fine Arts with a focus on Art Printmaking in Venice. Symbols and lines are part of my artistic language. I knew from childhood that I would embark on a creative career involving manual work.
What kind of relationship do you have with Venice?: I fell in love with it twice: as soon as I moved here (almost 20 years ago), and when I started exploring it by boat. My engravings are inspired by the landscapes and colours of the lagoon. They are silent images characterised by air and water. They reflect a moment in time.
Is there a particular technique you enjoy using?: I use all art printing techniques: woodcut, lithography, copperplate engraving and silkscreen. The one I feel is most mine, because it leaves plenty of room for experimentation, is copperplate engraving, which requires you to work at a slow pace.
What is your view of passing your techniques on to others?: Since 2010 I have been organising workshops on engraving, silkscreen printing, bookbinding and book making. During my own learning process, I was fortunate enough to meet people who were generous and passed down the secrets of their craft. I like the idea of being able to continue doing the same thing.

Vanessa Milan is a master artisan: she began her career in 2010 and she started teaching in 2010