Stephen Kenny - STUDIO DAYS IN LONDON

A DAY WITH TACITURNLI®

Stephen Kenny He/Him @the_printers_devil_letterpress

Stephen Kenny our second collaboration since 2018.This time, we visited his Printers Devil studio in Hackney to design and print the 10th Anniversary Poster for Yangmeizhu Store. The wooden drawers neatly filled with movable type stand as quiet traces of time. Our collaborative anniversary poster will be unveiled at this month’s celebration.

Artist statement:

My work begins with a mixture of poetry and protest — words and ideas shaped in response to the confusion and noise of modern life. Using 15th-century technology, and guided by a love of typography, print, and the physicality of wood blocks, ink, and paper, I try to create some kind of order from the chaos of this era. The press is both a tool and a meditation — a way to slow time and to make sense of the world through the act of printing.

I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with a wide range of people and institutions, including Uniqlo, Dr. Martens, Paul Smith, Danner Boots, FULLCOUNT Jeans, Truck Furniture Japan, Tate Modern, the V&A, and many independent makers who share a respect for craft and authenticity. My work has been shown at home in London, across Japan, Los Angeles and Warsaw, with an upcoming exhibition at Nepenthes in New York City in late 2025.

In this digital age, letterpress has an imperfect honesty — a quiet truth that can only be found in things made one at a time, by hand.

Stephen Kenny Q&A for Taciturnli

T: What first got you into printmaking? Was there a moment you knew it was for you

S: I first became interested in print making when I came across an old Victorian magazine - the range of usual fonts really stood out compared to the rather dull contemporary typographical landscape. This typography got me interested in traditional printing and letterpress.

T: Tell us about your studio, The Printer’s Devil, Where did the name come from, and what’s the space like for you?

S: The Printer’s Devil would have been an apprentice letterpress printer or typesetter. They would have been young boys who would help around the print room. I like the name as it sounds at once mischievous and useful. My workshop is in a beautiful old Victorian peanut factory. It has wooden floors and a large arched window.

T: What do you love most about Hackney?

S: I love the canals of Hackney. We can walk from my studio to Limehouse basin in one hour. It’s one of London many great walks. There is a fine pub at the end of the walk as well. It’s called ‘the grapes’.

T: Is there anything that you remember influencing you from a young age already?

S: I’ve always loved typography. I was drawn to British comes such as 2000AD partly because of its bold and expressive typography.

T:You collaborate with a lot of people. What does collaboration mean to you? Any moments that really stuck with you?

S:I enjoy my collaborations enormously. I especially enjoy working directly with small brands as it’s more personal. It’s exciting to create something on the spot with a fellow creative and equally rewarding to work from a brief.

T: Has there been a moment when you thought, “I’m really lucky to do this”?

S: Every day. Especially since 2020 and lockdown. It was so important to have a creative outlet and also to collaborate with many of my close friends. My work offers me a way to work through writing ideas and unusual designs. My current designs are inspired by advertisements. But instead of selling you junk, they encourage independent thought.

T: Is there a song you’ve been loving lately? Share it with us!

S: An old one from 1982 by Roxy Music. ‘More than This’.

T: Where do you go when you need to recharge or feel inspired outside the studio?

S: There are many places to walk in London. Hampstead Heath is wonderful. We can be quiet and peaceful for an hour or more just walking from one side to the other.

T: Describe what you’re wearing today in three words.

S: Loose, light & hard wearing.

T: Do you have any questions to ask Tacitunrli?

S: Tour clothes feel at once European and Chinese. They have a good workwear fit while being extra roomy. Is there an era that inspires you the most? Or a country?