Russell Muits

It’s 2008 and I’m standing on a Seattle City Light maintenance hole cover pointing out the cool patterns to a colleague. It’s a gorgeous piece of iron designed by Anne Knight in 1975 and part of the arts council initiative. The cover is a map of downtown Seattle with icons that mark sites and a legend that runs around the rim. It even has a “you are here” steel pin. I admired that cover everyday for the previous year without knowing much about it. At that moment, I ran my fingers across the top and instantly thought, “this feels like a printing block.”

The process is simple. Roll or paint water-based block printing ink onto a (sometimes) clean surface, lay down a piece of canvas, press it down with your fingers or hands, and peel it back up. It’s basic relief printing and something I was happy to revisit.

Fast forward to now. I’ve collected hundreds of unique prints onto canvas from over 50 cities across the world. Each one is a treasure, a tangible memory of the conversations in the car, the scouring of neighborhoods and back alleys, chatting with locals, collaborating with strangers, finding the “one”, improv color choices, peeling up the canvas, the grease and dirt stains, the sweat, the chance encounters, figuring out how to...

AST in Advertising Design

2023: Sweet Home Chicago, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, IL

2023: The Other Art Fair, Artifact Events, Chicago, IL

2022: Solo Exhibition, Dovetail Brewing, Chicago, IL

2022: Rostrum 312, Edmentum, Chicago, IL

2021: Solo Installation, Adidas Originals, Chicago, IL

2021: Evanston Made Group Show, Evanston, IL

2019: Solo Exhibition, Cast+Pour, Neenah, WI

2018: Art Prize 10 Installation, Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, MI

2018: Public Spaces, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL

2018: One Wall Solo Exhibition, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL