Trained as an architect and specialising in the conservation of cultural heritage, Alex Monges spent many years working with historic buildings, detailed construction drawings and traditional building methods. Through this work, Alex became increasingly interested in the stories embedded within places and objects, and in the relationship between memory, material and the traces of human activity. This attention to materials and the physical process of making continues to inform the approach to printmaking. The work explores the connection between memory and the tangible, with storytelling at its heart. Personal memories are revisited through sketches, photographs and notes, often made while travelling, and transformed through the slow and tactile processes of printmaking. Elements may be added, removed or reimagined, allowing the finished print to evoke not only what was originally experienced, but also the sensations, emotions and associations that have become attached to the memory over time. This process of transforming remembered experience is influenced by the literature of magical realism, particularly its ability to blur the boundary between the real and the imagined. In Alex’s work, familiar places and experiences can shift subtly into something less certain: details may be altered, unexpected elements introduced, and memories allowed to take on a life of their own. The intention is not to recreate a memory literally, but to explore how memory changes through time, imagination and storytelling. Alex is particularly drawn to traditional, tactile and deliberately slow methods. Each stage of the process creates an opportunity for attention and reflection, while the inherent tension between the reproducibility of a print and the subtle individuality of each impression mirrors the changing nature of memory and storytelling: a story may remain recognisable while shifting slightly each time it is told. Playfulness and humour also find their way into the work, offering a counterpoint to its more contemplative qualities. Alex began experimenting with linocut around 2020, initially learning through books and online resources. The practice developed rapidly, and attending the Etching Club at the Artichoke Print Workshop, led by Ellie Hayward, prompted a wholehearted move towards printmaking. Since then, Alex has explored a wide range of processes, including etching, screen printing, mezzotint, photopolymer and photogravure, often combining different techniques within a single work. For Alex, each printmaking process is like learning a new language. Each has its own vocabulary and nuances, offering different possibilities for expressing an idea or memory. Concepts, techniques and expressions can move between processes, allowing skills developed through one method to inform another. This continual exchange has become an important part of the work, allowing it to evolve through experimentation. Alex Monges has been a member of the Quaggy Printmakers Collective since 2022 and recently joined the Southbank Printmakers Association. The work has been exhibited at the Woolwich Print Fair (2023, 2024), Bankside Gallery, Southbank Gallery and Green & Stone Gallery, including Small but Mighty (2024), the Mini Print Exhibition (2024, 2025), Summer Exhibition (2025) and Works on Paper (2026).