Masha Reshetova [MR] is a Ukrainian designer and printer currently based in Prague. When participating in Typographic Printing Program she had no experience in letterpress but had already worked with analog technics. After the program she took the 2020 theme «Join the Cult of Type» seriously and set up her own workshop. For her, this was a courageous but also unpreventable decision.
Why did you decide to participate in TPP?
[MR] «The Typographic Printing Program seemed like a great opportunity to combine what I have been doing lately, graphic design, and my education in printmaking. But I didn’t realize this until after TPP, and my actual application process was much more chaotic: I saw a talk of Dafi about his work and the program an hour before the deadline. I thought it was pretty cool, so I submitted my application without much thought. Sometimes that is the best way to make a decision.»
How was your experience at TPP?
[MR] «It was great! It was so great that I bought a printing press after.»
What insights did you take from TPP?
[MR] «The program was full of insights. It is hard to name them one by one. But I would say it definitely changed my perspective. TPP doesn’t give you the answers on ‹how to make a good poster›, but it gives you the tools to figure it out, articulate your intention, and take responsibility for your design decisions. At the same time, the analog approach gives you the superpower to ‹think by making› and allows you to test your ideas by trying them out on paper. LOTS OF TESTING. All of this makes every poster feel like a journey.»
How did you decide to start your own letterpress studio after participating at TPP?
[MR] «That was never my goal. After the printing program, I decided to continue doing posters. I found a print shop in Prague—the only problem was working hours, which were hard to combine with my full-time job. I printed my first poster mostly during my lunch breaks, which was brutal. After that, I swore I would never do it again. Then I printed the second one at the same print shop, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t survive the next one. So, my choice was simple: stop printing letterpress posters or start my own studio. Why would anyone want to stop printing posters?»
Can you tell us more about what you do at your studio?
[MR] «Mostly posters. I feel more interested in larger formats. Right now, I am working on the ‹Poster Resistance› series. It’s an independent fundraising project to support volunteers in my hometown. I am making these posters with my parents, who fled from Kharkiv. I have also done more commercial work, such as theater posters or posters for a vintage store.
Letterpress can be a challenging task that requires a lot of commitment, but at the same time, it gives room for experimentation and fun. That’s also what I got from TPP—the freedom to be playful, to try new things, and to feel fulfilled despite the challenges.»
See more of Masha’s work @masharesheto
Images by Masha Reshetova and Sabrina Öttl.