Atelier le Grand Village

The gallery

Atelier le Grand Village is a fine art printmaking atelier specialising in original stone lithography. Based in the Charente-Limousine region of France, it works with French and international artists to create original editions.

Under the direction of its founder, Francis van der Riet, the atelier is committed to a fully manual approach to lithography. Artists work directly on the stone, and editions are then printed on carefully restored 19th-century hand presses. Each impression is closely monitored throughout the printing process, in a constant dialogue between the artist, the stone and the printer.

The atelier favours long-term collaborations, developing projects with artists over time. It also explores other printmaking techniques, including monotype, dry point, linocut and photo plate lithography.

The project

For this edition of Signatures, Atelier le Grand Village presents a selection of lithographs reflecting the diversity of its collaborations with artists from different backgrounds.

Diane Victor, with whom the atelier has worked for several years, holds a particular place in this presentation. Her work explores the possibilities of printmaking with great freedom, notably through her investigations into mezzotint. Recipient of the 2025 Mario Avati Engraving Prize from the Académie des Beaux-Arts, she continues to develop a body of work with the atelier in which drawing, stone and printing all play an integral part in the creative process.

Over the years, the atelier’s collaborations have grown out of encounters with artists, both in France and internationally. Each project is an opportunity to explore the possibilities of printmaking with the artist and to develop an approach suited to their practice. Lithography thus becomes a space for creation and experimentation, in which the technique plays a fully active role in the artistic process.

Among the artists with whom the atelier has collaborated are Diane Victor, Bambo Sibiya, Tatenda Chidora and Dalila Dalléas Bouzar, as well as many other artists and printmakers.