Bussey Building resident and Printmaker, Ines Fernandez de Cordova was born in Bolivia before moving to London in 2011 to study Illustration and subsequently Printmaking at Camberwell College of Arts. “I’d never even visited London before, so moving here was a big jump, but I felt very welcome.”

Ines knew that when she graduated she wanted to stay within her newfound community and managed to get involved in a Bussey Building studio share in 2019. The prospect of making a living as an artist can be daunting after leaving the bubble of art school, something Ines felt, “part of the attraction of printmaking was that there was clear and tangible work for me after graduating.” Continuing her practice in South East London meant Ines could cement the connections she had already made.

Ines began working as a printer for Jealous Print Studios for nine years, from 2015 to 2024 and for artist Anita Klein, in 2016. She still works with Anita to this day, printing all her editions, linocuts and etchings – and Ines can now also make Anita’s etching plates in her Bussey Building studio. Remaining in South London also made it easier for Ines to start a new role as a print technician at her old university, Camberwell. “It’s so beneficial to be able to support my practice with artistic work and keep my mind in a creative space.”

In 2024, after 5 years at Copeland Park, Ines’s studio sharers moved out and the extra space meant she could purchase her first etching press. “I’m now able to work entirely within my studio, rather than previously having to use someone else’s studio to work on plates and also print.”

Ines’s work has many stages, the foundation of which is sculpture made from plaster or jesmonite. These are then featured in etchings and screen prints, using repetition and collage to create a sense of movement within her work. “By mirroring and creating parallels in my compositions I try to emphasise the sense that there is a before and an after, a suggestion of some longer story.”

These different phases of work all need room and, sitting in her studio, it is clear Ines wouldn’t have been able to experiment fully without a space of her own. The centrepiece of her studio is an etching press with a large wheel and traditional look which feels at home within the Bussey Building’s Victorian architecture. This sits atop custom storage units that Ines’s partner Felix, a welder, constructed.

The studio is filled with prints of varying styles, some more traditional, figurative and monochrome, others more playful and abstract. “I’m at a bit of a creative crossroads at the moment.” It’s clear that Ines has perfected the black and white prints over many years, they’re filled with huge amounts of depth and atmosphere. “In some ways I feel like I’ve come as far as I can with that style and my motivation and curiosity has shifted over time towards something more gestural and less contrived.”

A key part of any artist defining a new style is having space and time to experiment and push their work in different directions, free (as much as possible) from external pressures. “Having this studio is so important to me and allows me to make the most of my time, which is so freeing in terms of creating new work in differing styles.”

For her first full year using the press in her studio, Ines plans to continue experimenting with these new styles as well as hosting workshops for people to learn the detailed practice of etching.

You can follow Ines on Instagram for all details on any upcoming workshops or events and to see more of her work.