Alaiyo Bradshaw
Alaiyo Bradshaw
Resident in November 2024
Nationality: USA
Artist in Residence 2024 - Alaiyo Bradshaw is a professional illustrator, printmaker, product designer, fine artist and college art professor based in Brooklyn, NY.
She practices non-toxic intaglio printmaking with a focus on female empowerment.
During her residency at Aviário Studio, Alaiyo developed the project "Printing Portugal," where she honors current and historical Portuguese female trailblazers. All images have symbolism reflecting the represented musicians, painter, writer, photographer, and activists who fought for women’s rights.
The technique used was the non-toxic process of solar plate intaglio etching. Materials and methods incorporate a steel plate covered with a polymer surface, the sun and water instead of acids and solvents to etch the plate. Alaiyo completed several test strips before arriving at her final plates. Right before her arrival she discovered the solar plate process through Dan Welden’s book “Printmaking in the Sun” and consulted with the author throughout her residency.
The images were developed from detailed graphite drawings she made at the start of her time at Aviario Studios.
For the last part of the process, she created a hardbound artist process book/portfolio and a clamshell box encasement to house the prints.
To discover more about her work visit: