Chiara Mensa is a Bristol-based emerging artist currently focusing on linocut printmaking. Her work is unified by her love for the natural world and interest in the detailed observation of her surroundings, from animals and plants to inanimate objects and patterns.

Chiara believes that, in today’s fast-paced world, we tend to miss out on so much of what goes on around us as we hurl at high speed through our day. She sees art and the act of creating as an invite and opportunity—respectively—to slow down and take in our surroundings, in particular the beauty of nature. Overall, her goal as an artist is to inspire others with her love for nature and encourage mindfulness, self-reflection and appreciation of the present moment.

Chiara’s main focus is the creation of original art prints from carved lino blocks that she handprints with love and care using a barren or table-top press. She truly enjoys the slow making that comes with hand printing linocut blocks, producing small batches of limited edition prints which make for a great way to start collecting original art.