From Plant to Print: A Photopolymer Etching Series Inspired by New Zealand Flax

This small series of photopolymer etchings began with a plant I kept noticing on my daily walks — New Zealand flax, or Harakeke. Known for its strong architectural leaves and delicate seed heads, the plant became the starting point for a set of prints exploring the quiet translation from photograph to etching plate to ink on paper. In this post I share a little about the inspiration behind the series and the process of creating the prints.

It’s funny how certain plants suddenly start to appear everywhere once you notice them.

This one had been catching my eye on my daily walks for a while. At first it was just a shape that stood out; the strong vertical leaves and the tall stems rising above them. But over time I started to notice the seed heads more closely: delicate clusters forming a soft cloud above the structure of the plant.

Eventually I decided to use it as the focus for a small series of photopolymer etchings.

The plant, it turns out, is New Zealand flax - known as Harakeke in Māori. It’s known for its strong, resilient fibres and its beautiful architectural form. Traditionally it has been an incredibly important plant in Māori culture, used for weaving and making textiles, rope, baskets and clothing. I was drawn less to its practical history and more to its visual presence, the contrast between its structural leaves and those almost weightless seed heads.

What first really caught my attention was the way those seed forms hung against a bright white wall nearby. The contrast made their shapes feel even more fragile and intricate.

The process began with a photograph, which I then translated into a photopolymer plate. Photopolymer etching is a fascinating process because light creates the plate rather than the traditional acids used in etching. The photographic image is exposed onto the plate and washed out to leave the etched surface ready for ink.

From there the process of inking the plate- quite a physical process which involved pushing the ink into the crevices then buffing in circular motions with scrim.

For this series I printed the plate in both black and sepia inks. I’ve also begun experimenting with the format of the prints themselves. Some are printed as full images, while others are divided into narrow strips, allowing the plant’s structure to unfold in slightly different ways.

I’m still piecing these together and exploring how they sit as a group. My hope is to share them soon as a small collection.

It’s a quiet body of work but one that grew simply from noticing a plant on a walk and looking at it a little more closely.