Artist Educator for the community and family programmes

Kate Alger is an award-winning multi-disciplinary analogue artist-printmaker; all of Kate’s work is created by hand – from detailed pen drawings to many disciplines within printmaking and various crafts.

A selection of Kate’s monotypes, silkscreen prints, coffee-lift etchings, collagraphs and blind embossings have been shown at the prestigious Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (2021, 2022, 2023 - The Director’s Cut), as well as the New Ashgate (2019), the RBSA (2021), the Royal Automobile Club during London’s Motor Week (2021), Watts Gallery (2022), Oxmarket Contemporary (2022), Southbank Printmakers’ Gallery (2022, 2023, 2024), Ironbridge Printmakers (2023, 2024), The British Motor Museum (2024), Mall Galleries (2024), and other galleries and exhibitions.

Kate firmly believes in the power of art for wellbeing and alongside her personal work and teaching at Watts Gallery, runs weekly sessions for adults in Guildford, is the art lead for The Flying Child (a non-profit for adult survivors of CSA), and runs a variety of art and craft workshops for both children and adults.

Can you tell us about your creative practice?

Everything I do is made by hand – I love the feel of different papers and different materials and the grounding effect it has on us. I believe that we’re designed to make things with our hands; that it’s good for our minds and souls. My printmaking, in particular, is a wonderful fusion of drawing and quite technical making. I love the different processes, the different stages to each piece, the fine balance of trying to be in control and knowing that you’re not, the magic of the reveal moment when using a printing press, and peeling back the paper each time to see the final image. Most of my prints incorporate an element of drawing or painting – be that through monotypes etchings, collagraphs, drypoint engravings, and silkscreen prints.

Who or what are your creative influences?

I walk nearly everywhere – in town, in the woods and hills we’re so lucky to have on our doorstep in Guildford. I’m amazed by the beauty of nature and sensitive to different levels of light. My etchings are mainly a celebration of our local landscape and feature views that I know well, my collagraphs feature singular plants that I pass when in town and my ongoing series of blind embossings is a quiet invitation to stop and look at some of the little miracles we walk past nearly every day in the cracks of the pavement. Some of my monotypes feature views that I know and love but many of them showcase one of my other loves and influences – a sad scruffy furry face. My ongoing series ‘Sad Grey Dogs and Furry Friends’ is all about our pets and the love (and heartache) that they bring. Many of the dogs are rescues waiting to be adopted (sales include a donation to the charity).

Where is your favourite place to feel inspired at Watts Gallery?

I love everything at Watts Gallery and the fact that everything’s in bite-sized pieces but if I had to choose, it would probably be the outdoor space - especially the walk up to Limmerslease. I’ve been coming to Watts Gallery for well over 10 years now and it still feels like a special place to me, a little like stepping into a parallel world, a little back in time, a long way away from the noise of Guildford town centre. I think Mary would be proud of what it means and the magic that happens here.

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