RISO Artist of the Month Ren Kanoelani Markle

What is your name and the name of your organization/location?

Ren Kanoelani Markle
They/Them
Los Angeles, CA & Honolulu, HI

How long have you been in the art industry?

I’ve been making art since forever, but didn’t start getting freelance and commissioned work until 2023! I started out designing stickers for local businesses I loved on O‘ahu, where I am from, but have since expanded into doing graphic illustration and sharing my art in various mediums such as prints, totebags, bandanas, and keychains!

How long have you been using RISO duplicators and the method of RISOGRAPHY?

I bought my first RISO prints from an artist I loved back in 2017 and became fascinated with the texture and vibrancy that comes from the RISOGRAPHY. I kept purchasing RISO-printed art from my favorite artists and was so in love with the medium, but it felt unattainable to me. It wasn’t until I took the Intro to Risograph Printing 4 week course at Nova Community Arts (@novacommunityarts) that I realized I could create something I found beautiful!

I’ve been working with Risograph for only a year and a half, but it has changed my creative practice in such monumental ways that I can’t imagine my art without it!

This year, nearly 10 years after learning about Riso, I’ve found myself in various LA studios 2-3x a month. I’m from Hawai’i and plan to return home permanently at some point, so my current goal is to learn as much as I can about Riso & the machines in LA so I can promote Riso back home. Riso is not as accessible on O‘ahu as it is in Los Angeles, but I refuse to stop creating… it brings me too much joy to let go of!!

What are some of your favorite colors to use with a duplicator?

Kelly Green is my number one, most beloved color and I use it in at least 50% of my pieces! The warm toned, lush green reminds me so much of the mountain ranges I grew up around. I also love working with fluorescent pink, sunflower, and mint together! It’s my goal to make at least one print with every color available to me through… each color has it’s own charm and I love them all so much!!

Why RISOGRAPHY?

As someone who works mostly in digital, printing in RISOGRAPH gave my art the unique and imperfect touch that felt real and genuine. Through printing with RISO, I’ve learned to embrace imperfections and to look forward to surprises in how my art might change through the quirks of RISO. As someone who is 5th generation Japanese diaspora, using RISO felt like a nod to my heritage, but also an allegory for my queerness through the way RISOGRAPH was intended for office work, but transformed into something so much more expansive than that through curiosity and passion!

What would you tell people who are just finding out about RISO Duplicators and the artform of RISOGRAPHY?

RISOGRAPHY can feel really intimidating, especially when you see some of the beautiful work many illustrators and zinesters are creating with the medium, but I think RISO is for everyone! RISO is transformative and it can elevate text-based fliers, it can change the vibe of collage work, and can be used to print photos in a way that changes the colors and texture! Find a local print studio and take a class! If there isn’t one near you, there are so many amazing resources online for how to set up files and once you have your files, commission a studio that accepts print jobs! Where there’s a will, there’s a way and I will always have the will to print with RISO!

Website Links:

Website: renmaicha.carrd.co
Instagram: @renmaicha and @ren.riso