Rachel Howard: Veronica's Veil

‘Veronica’s Veil’ is Manifold Editions’ first collaboration with British painter Rachel Howard: a series of two etchings with Japanese Hosokawa paper chine collé.

Inspired by the artist’s ‘Veronica’ series of paintings, the editions depict intricately patterned textiles, softly undulating across the surface as they catch the light, reminiscent of lace curtains rippling in the wind. The title is inspired by the story of Saint Veronica’s veil and “the notion that anguish can be transformed into an illuminating kind of beauty” (Craig Burnett, 2018).

The editions translate Howard’s use of pattern into print form for the first time. They continue the artist’s exploration of tensions between presence and absence, closeness and distance, clarity and obscurity, what we can and cannot see.

The printmaking technique was carefully chosen to reflect Howard’s use of textures, materials and pattern in her paintings. Howard exposed textiles directly onto the etching plates to create both images, working experimentally to manipulate light and form. Japanese Hosokawa paper (a traditionally handmade Japanese Kozo paper) was chosen for the chine collé for its delicate texture and subtle translucency, furthering the material focus of Howard’s practice.