When master printer Karen D. Beckwith arrived in Taiwan in the spring of 2021, she was met with a world of shuttered windows instead of a sea of churning life. While many would have seen only impasse, Beckwith discovered inspiration, turning her search for the subtle pulse of existence into a series of technically dazzling silkscreen prints.

This April, the Archives will host Travels to Taiwan: A Journey in Prints with Karen D. Beckwith, a virtual program which chronicles her journey through a quarantined Taiwan to participate in the prestigious annual Taoyuan International Print Exhibition. During the 45-minute presentation, follow Beckwith through the back streets and hidden places of the country as she shares her travels, creative process, and the works inspired by her experiences.

“All I could do was walk around and take photos. Everything was closed due to Covid, so I made the best of an every-changing situation,” Beckwith explains. “As a printmaker and collector of visual information, I am always looking for layers of meaning in everyday scenes. It gave me time to investigate, look deeper, and ultimately create.”

After returning to the States, Beckwith’s photos would become the foundation for a compelling body of work which captured the stories of daily life in Southeast Asia, occurring just behind closed doors, and off the beaten trail. A live audience Q & A will follow the presentation.

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is a proud Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities “ALL means ALL” verified organization.  We are willing to accommodate all people including those with special needs. Closed captions and live transcriptions will be available during the virtual program. Please contact info@artistsarchives.org for additional considerations.

To attend the free program, register on Zoom