HOPE. It’s a single word with four letters and a lot of meaning – and it’s the message behind Anthony Burrill’s latest work, created in collaboration with the National Print Museum in Dublin and unveiled during Irish Design Week.
The limited-edition letterpress print marks a rare partnership between one of Britain’s most recognisable graphic artists and Ireland’s living archive of print heritage. Together, they’ve produced a piece that bridges past and present, merging the Museum’s historic collection with Burrill’s knack for distilling big ideas into bold, universal statements.
The collaboration has been nearly a decade in the making. Back in 2015, the Museum hosted the V&A’s touring exhibition A World to Win, which featured Burrill’s well-known work Oil and Water Do Not Mix.
“After following his work from afar, we seized the opportunity to invite him to collaborate for Irish Design Week,” explains the Museum’s CEO, Carla Marrinan Funder. “Working with Anthony has been on our wish list for quite some time.”
When the invitation came, Anthony’s response was characteristically enthusiastic: “How soon can I get there?!” Within weeks, he was in Dublin, exploring the Museum’s working collection and teaming up with graphic artist Mary Plunkett and printers Freddie Snowe and John King. Together, they worked on the Wharfedale Stop Cylinder Press – the same type of press once used to print the 1916 Proclamation.
“The ‘HOPE’ print was created in direct response to the collection of wooden letter type at the National Print Museum,” says Anthony. “During her research for this project, Mary uncovered a large 80-line type from the dusty recesses of the museum’s collection.
“As soon as I saw the letters, I knew we had to use them to make a print.”
As the team began arranging the letters, serendipity struck. “When we began taking out the letters and arranging them, I instinctively picked up the H, O, P, and E. They fit together so naturally that the design seemed to form itself,” he says. “In that moment, the idea came together beautifully.”
The poster is a visually and conceptually powerful composition that captures the tactile rhythm of letterpress and the emotional clarity of Burrill’s message. “We need to be reminded of the positive power of hope as the world goes through difficult times, and this print aims to capture that enduring spirit,” he adds.
Mary agrees the process was thrilling from start to finish: “Seeing a new print come off the press is always a thrill, but the 80-line type on the Wharfedale was something else!”
Printed on recycled Shiro Echo paper, the HOPE print is a limited edition of 100, each signed, numbered, and hand-embellished by the artist. An open edition is expected to follow later this year.
Carla and her team emphasise that the project aligns with the Museum’s mission of keeping print culture alive through creative collaboration. “This project demonstrates the enduring power of the printed word and reflects the Museum’s vision of a future in which the beauty and impact of printing continue to transform and enrich our world,” she says.
To mark the launch, Anthony will return to Dublin during Irish Design Week for a sold-out talk and live printing demonstration, giving audiences the chance to witness both the craft and the conversation behind the work.
The partnership is ultimately a celebration of print as a living language, which is a welcome change in this era of digital noise.
The limited-edition print is available for pre-launch purchase from today via nationalprintmuseum.ie, priced at €170. All proceeds will support the Museum’s ongoing preservation of Ireland’s printing heritage.