About Joy…
Joy Banks spent most of her childhood on Hokkaido, the northern-most island of Japan, which deeply influenced her aesthetic and interest in the intersection of art and artisan work. She now lives and creates in the coastal city of Vancouver, Canada, the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. She has worked in many different fields, including as an ordained minister, school teacher, community worker among the homeless, and cafeteria worker but has always found ways to create art and facilitate transformative creative experiences for others.
While Joy loves making art in many different mediums, she is mostly known for her imaginative linocut prints and illustrations, which she began carving nearly twenty years ago. She creates images that flow from her work in the community, concern for social justice, and contemplation of sacred stories and spirituality.
Joy’s linocut illustrations have been used for reflection in faith communities, non-profits, and retreats, and have featured on album covers and in books. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in BC, Canada, and is held in the private collections of various individuals around the globe.
About Linocut Printmaking…
Linocut prints are a form of relief printmaking, created by carving an image into a surface such as linoleum, rubber, or wood. The carved plates are then inked up and pressed onto paper by hand-burnishing with a spoon or by cranking them through a hand press. Joy usually prints her linocuts with an etching press gifted to her from a very generous stranger (a story in and of itself), but sometimes uses hand-burnishing, as well.
Linocut prints are considered original works of art, unlike art prints that are digitally reproduced. A limited edition print means that only a set amount of prints will be made from that plate. Limited edition prints are generally priced higher than an unlimited edition for that reason.