Aleksandra Stępień

How long have you been printing?

I started printing during my study at the Academy of Fine Art in Warsaw, but that was only school work. After graduating in 2007 I had I break year and then I bought a press for linocuts and started to work with graphic arts. In 2012, I was invited by my Alma Mater to work in the typography studio as a typesetter and teacher.

Describe your first encounter with letterpress

Actually it was during my study. We had two years of working with letterpress in the typography studio. At the time it was hard work for me...

Who was your most influential teacher?

My teacher was Prof. Mieczysław Wasilewski — a great polish graphic designer, famous from his posters.
I became a typesetter with patient help of Waldemar Przemyski, my letterpress teacher.
I became an artist thanks to Prof. Rafał Strent — a great polish graphic and painter.

What super power would you like to have?

I would have liked to be born in the late 60's to experience polish punk as a drummer of polish punkrock band "Siekiera" ("siekiera" means "ax").
Please, find them here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxVPUwr0Z3Q

Do you prefer to work alone or with others?

I once worked with couple of friends and its was ok — we printed book together. I would like to lead workshops for groups of people. Mostly I work alone.

What do you most value in your friends?

That I can count on them, that I can talk with them for hours.

When do your best ideas occur to you?

While listening to good music.

If you were to die and come back as a typeface, which would it be?

Hahahahahahaha I like this question!!! Maybe something funny and unreadable.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Now: "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling, "The Three Body Problem" by Liu Cixin
previous one: an essay by Hans Rudolf Bosshard, its about prudence and intuition in graphic design.
Next one will be: book by Stanisław Lem – famous polish SF author or book by Olga Tokarczuk – also a famous polish writer.

If you could study with any printer throughout history, who would it be?

It would be Leon Urbański, legend of polish typography.

If you have your own shop, what equipment do you own?

It would be nice to have a RISO printer, I never tried that and I'm curious.
We don't have a boston press unfortunately... It would be nice to have one.
In the future I would like to try offset, but probably it is too difficult…

If you could change one thing about your shop, what would it be?

In my own studio – more space!
In the Academy studio – better organization of machines and furniture (actually it is happening, we’re changing to a bigger place)

When and where are you the happiest?

In nature, under a starry sky, listening to the sound of a campfire with my husband.

What is your greatest fear/worry?

I live in constant fear that someone will steal my brand new bike!

What do you think is useful about what you make?

I easily get new ideas.

What’s your day job?

Working with students, keeping order in the letterpress studio, doing some organizational things.

Do you use any other techniques or media besides letterpress?

I also use screen-print, linocut and mono-print.