A new exhibition at GRAGRA Gallery & Letterpress Studio spotlights the legendary printer’s work alongside pieces from emerging designers he has mentored.
Alan Kitching, one of the most celebrated letterpress printers of our time, is bringing his work to Madrid for a new exhibition that explores heritage, craftsmanship, and the evolving role of print in a digital world. Alan Kitching: London’s Building Blocks, running from 28 March to 30 June at GRAGRA Gallery & Letterpress Studio, is both a retrospective and a testament to the enduring power of typographic storytelling.
Curated by Andrés Oliva, the exhibition positions letterpress as the unsung “building blocks” of modern London – both literally, in how type helped shape the city’s publishing history, and metaphorically, in how design and print continue to define cultural identity.
Alongside Kitching’s work, the show will feature pieces by three designers he has mentored and influenced: Michelle Dwyer, Theo Hersey, and Christian Granados.
A legacy built in letterpress
Few designers have made the impact that Kitching has on contemporary printmaking. Born in Darlington in 1940, he started as a compositor’s apprentice before working with the pioneering designer and theorist Anthony Froshaug at Watford College of Technology. His career spans decades, from co-founding the experimental printing workshop at Watford to establishing The Typography Workshop in 1989, where he continues to champion movable type in the modern era.
Kitching’s distinctive approach – bold colour, expressive typography, and a deep connection to place – has earned him global recognition, including his appointment as a Royal Designer for Industry in 1994. Yet, despite his accolades, his passion remains rooted in the hands-on craft of printing.
For London’s Building Blocks, Kitching presents a selection of works that highlight the historical and geographical narratives embedded in typography. The centrepiece of the exhibition includes three key pieces: Printing in London: 1476–1995 (1995), Broadside 10, Dr. Samuel Johnson (2010), and Mr. Kitching’s Travels (2012).
These typographic maps are both documentation and design objects, celebrating London’s literary and printing heritage. Also on display is an unused Hamlet poster designed for the Globe Theatre and a Broadside panel that encapsulates Kitching’s signature visual language.
A new generation of printmakers
While the exhibition pays homage to Kitching’s legacy, it also looks to the future. As part of the show, three emerging designers present work inspired by his mentorship.
Michelle Dwyer, a former bookbinder and assistant to Kitching, runs Nice & Graphic, a London-based studio dedicated to contemporary letterpress. Her contribution, The British Tongue, is a mural exploring the idiosyncrasies of London’s language, from Cockney rhyming slang to modern vernacular.
Theo Hersey, now the director of The Typography Workshop, continues Kitching’s tradition of teaching and printing. His work for the exhibition includes a typographic specimen that honours the workshop’s legacy while experimenting with new compositions.
Christian Granados, founder of GRAGRA and host of the exhibition, brings his own expertise to the mix. Having worked as a letterpress technician at the London College of Communication, Granados has built GRAGRA into a hub for printing in Madrid. As part of London’s Building Blocks, he joins Dwyer and Hersey in creating a collaborative exhibition poster, merging their styles in a collective tribute to Kitching’s influence.
Printing in action
Beyond the gallery walls, the exhibition extends into a hands-on experience. On 29 and 30 March, a letterpress workshop led by Dwyer, Hersey, and Granados will give participants the chance to print a limited-edition publication under Kitching’s guidance over two intensive eight-hour sessions.
It’s a rare opportunity to work alongside some of the most skilled letterpress practitioners today, offering insight into a craft that is as much about intuition and precision as it is about ink and paper.
GRAGRA: A new home for print in Madrid
GRAGRA, Madrid’s newest letterpress studio, is the perfect setting for this exhibition. Founded by Granados in 2023, the space functions as both a working printshop and a gallery, making it a natural home for London’s Building Blocks. GRAGRA’s mission aligns with Kitching’s ethos: to preserve and celebrate letterpress in a way that feels alive and relevant.
With traditional lead and wood type sourced from across Europe and presses imported from the UK, Germany, and Poland, the studio is not just a showcase for print but a place where designers, illustrators, and enthusiasts can learn, experiment, and create.
Letterpress printing might be centuries old, but exhibitions like Alan Kitching: London’s Building Blocks prove its relevance today. In an era of fleeting digital content, the physicality of print—the weight of the type, the indentation on paper, the layering of ink—offers something tangible and enduring.
For Kitching, letterpress is not just about nostalgia; it’s about storytelling. And for the next generation of printers exhibiting alongside him, it’s about carrying that story forward.
