Irati Retolaza
Spain

Irati Retolaza

Born in Bilbao in 1996.

She graduated in Arts from UPV/EHU and has a master's degree in Graphic Work from Centro Internacional de la Estampa Contemporánea – CIEC. She also complemented her training with several seminars on contemporary and graphic art at the BilbaoArte Foundation.

“Her artistic practice is linked, through drawing and graphics, to memory and a constant review of identity, where the environment and experience take on special interest. Currently her work is expressed in small format drypoint prints and open narrative” (ace project, Argentina).

Irati combines her artistic work with holding workshops in which she presents and teaches different engraving techniques, namely at the Basque Design Center – a development center for the fashion industry, regenerative economy and biodesign, and as a workshop technician at the Print Lab at same center.

Her work has been selected several times in events such as: XVII Jesús Núñez International Graphic Art Award; Castilla-La Mancha International Engraving Award; XIII Pedro Vivanco Engraving and Wine Award and XXII San Lorenzo de el Escorial Engraving Award, where she received an Honorable Mention. Irati has participated in several national and international exhibitions as a “Reference” at the 9th Sofia Engraving Triennial; the III Oviedo Professional Art Week; “Earth wants to be Heaven”, Arrieta; Basquegraphy. Luso-Vasco Dialogues in Lisbon; Memento Mori – International Contemporary Engraving Project, in Prague, Barcelona, ​​Mexico City and Serbia; “Sem Rumo Fixo”, Contemporary Engraving Essays.

In 2023, together with three other artists in the graphic field, Irati formed the collective “White Wally”, with which she participated in the XII edition of FIG Bilbao. Received the Residency Award promoted by the CPS, within the scope of the FIG Bilbao 2023 edition.