‘The Syllable Series is made up of sixteen monotypes that explore the potential meaning of formal elements and their relationship to one another. As with the sounds of a syllable, the works stand on their own as extracted elements of a whole. My intention for the series was to investigate what abstract forms are able to convey, while simultaneously balancing playfulness with restraint and simplicity in the painting of the plates. Each work offers an interaction between colour, form and composition by isolating what would usually be a singular element or section of my larger fabric works.’ – Amber Moir, 2022

Amber Moir’s practice is characterised by its unconventional approach to printmaking through exploring and reconstituting the limitations of traditional watercolour monotype techniques. Moir’s large works are the result of the physical and unpredictable process of printing with a manual pitch roller. She says of her method: “The challenges within my process create space for the works to acquire greater meaning and be more successful than if it were predictable and easily controlled”. Original paintings are impressed onto calico, creating a confluence of painting and print. Gashes, strips of folded fabric and uneven printed surfaces serve as visual cues of the presence of Moir’s body in her process. 

Moir (b. 1990, South Africa) graduated from Stellenbosch University with a degree in Fine Arts in 2014. She returned in late 2017 after two years of working and living on Kyushu Island, Japan and has since presented three solo exhibitions: In Praise of Shadows (2019), Along the Line (2020) and Composition by Field (2021) all at Salon 91 Gallery in Cape Town.