THE WORKSHOP SERIES: Engraving W/ Ira Spagadorou
May 20, 2026
Workshops
Last week, we stepped away from our screens and into the world of printmaking for the latest workshop of our ongoing creative series — an engraving workshop hosted at @iraspagadorou’s inspiring studio in Petralona. As part of our ongoing exploration of hands-on creative practices, the workshop invited us to slow down and reconnect with the tactile nature of making, embracing gestures, imperfections, and experimentation through the process of engraving.
What is Engraving?
Engraving is one of the oldest printmaking techniques, rooted in the act of carving marks, textures and images onto a surface in order to create prints. Through the use of tools, pressure and repetition, the engraved plate becomes a space where gestures, imperfections and traces of the hand are permanently recorded.
Historically associated with illustration, publishing and the dissemination of images, engraving bridges craftsmanship and artistic expression. The process itself invites slowness and attention: every line carved is deliberate, every mistake becomes part of the final composition. From botanical forms and symbols to everyday objects and abstract textures, engraving transforms observations and ideas into tactile visual narratives.
Beyond its technical aspect, engraving can also be experienced as a meditative practice — a dialogue between hand, material and time. Away from screens and digital immediacy, it offers a return to physical making, embracing patience, repetition and the beauty of imperfection.
The Workshop Experience
Guided by the inspiring atmosphere of @iraspagadorou’s studio, our team was introduced to the world of engraving through a process of experimentation, observation and play. Using references ranging from plants and rivers to ideograms, vintage figures and even wedding invitations, we explored how images, textures and gestures can be translated into print through carving, pressure and repetition.
It was fascinating to see how each participant approached the process differently. Some focused on precise compositions and delicate details, while others embraced spontaneity, imperfections and unexpected marks. The tactile nature of engraving — where every gesture leaves a permanent trace — made the experience both grounding and exciting, reminding us that errors, accidents and irregularities are often what give a print its character.
Some of the words we learned: #tarlatana #gomalaka #kaneis8aria #kinisiapeirou #openbite #karboroutoum #tarlatana #grave
