Emīls Salmiņš
All prints are designed and hand-carved in linoleum by Emīls. He worked as a tattooer for more than 10 years and practiced watercolor painting in his free time. After the release of his book 'Midnight creatutres', which contains most of his watercolor paintings and his progression through that era, he slowly moved away from painting and found passion in printmaking.
Emīl's work has always been rooted in traditional values. He's inspired by vintage japanese woodblock prints, eastern and western folk art, as well as latvian paganism, local folklore, nature and animals.
In addition to designing ideas, carving the lino and printing, he also documents the printmaking process. You can check out his videos on his YouTube channel, or his Instagram page.
Two Lovers Printmaking
We are lovers, best friends, and business partners, and we've been collaborating on different projects ever since we first met back in 2013. The printmaking journey started in 2018, when Emīls carved his first lino design and printed it by hand. Soon after that, he invested in a printing press, and Rūta joined in and learned to print as well. A couple of years later, we moved to a small town away from all the distractions and decided to start printmaking full-time. Currently, we are juggling printmaking, parenting, and house renovation.
Rūta Salmiņa
Rūta printed Emīl's lino carvings for about 5 years. In addition to working with paper she experimented with different fabrics and created lino-printed wall hangings. More recently, her focus has shifted towards motherhood, though she continues to be in charge of the business side of things, logistics, product development, packing prints and responding to customer inquiries.
Outside of the printmaking business, Rūta has a background in clinical psychology, and a plan to continue her academic journey in the future.
