“Temple” started as an experimental exploration of combining relief printmaking and 3D printing, blending traditional and digital practices. From the start, the project explored the pros and cons, as well as the overall feasibility of 3D-printed plates, including the process’s limits from design through production. “Temple” was aimed to answer the following questions: Can you produce a relief-like block using 3D-printing software? Would plates be consistent? If not, what factors could be causing inconsistency and imperfections? How much detail can the chosen software capture? Can you 3D scan an existing, carved linocut? It’s important to note that “Temple” wasn’t designed to “replace” or be unappreciative of traditional relief printmaking, but to test another approach and a possible new medium, similar to artists who use Lego tiles for block printing.

As “Temple” further developed, the experiments and tests became a fleshed-out idea with a desired outcome. “Temple” would then connect back to my artist practice, transforming fruit and vegetable imagery beyond their familiar symbolism and repositioning them within my personal narrative and identity. While earlier artworks focused on detailed personal narratives from family and childhood to adulthood, “Temple” would challenge me beyond the technical aspects of 3D printing and design, and through personal relationships and struggles involving my body. Combining these ideas leads to “Temple” (a play on the phrase “your body is a temple”), an edition of three illustrated-poem book/zines with 3D-printed plates letterpress-printed on handmade paper from produce scraps.

“Temple” is still an ongoing project and is currently being expanded in EDPX 3991, an Independent Study course overseen by Professor Rafael Fajardo during the 2026 spring term. Linked here is a separate page dedicated to weekly progress updates of “Temple,” published every Saturday at 12 PM.

This section will be updated as the project continues to develop…

Other linked sources: EDPX 3990 | Capstone Blog