MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Another Shake Shack branch just opened in Greenbelt this March. And other than it’s tasty burgers and creamy shakes, its new Riso mural is another reason to go there, too.
This Riso or Risograph mural was crafted by Bad Student, a Risograph press and design studio, out of printed digital art. The risograph prints were applied to the wall using glue and emulsion.
“We were inspired by the “TUBERO” signages we see around the metro,” said Bad Student duo Pau Tiu and Dyam Gonzales in an email interview with adobo magazine. “If you’re familiar with “TUBERO FOR HIRE” signages plastered on walls, street lights or electrical posts in our cities, most of these paper signages are actually printed in Riso and plastered using wheat paste.”
Bad Student used to do murals for commercial spaces until they decided to focus on Risograph printing in 2016. Nowadays, they publish books, zines, art prints, posters, among others, made by Filipino artists, and showcase them at International art book fairs.
So, while they were initially tapped by Shake Shack to create a mural for their hoarding, they had a slightly tweaked idea in mind.
“We’ve always wanted to create a Riso mural ever since starting our studio but we didn’t think they’d go for it since the initial brief was for the hoarding to be hand-painted. When we pitched the idea, we were surprised that they were game to do it with us!”
“Aside from the Risograph panels that we designed and printed, we still wanted to incorporate their initial idea of having hand-painted elements in the hoarding. This was the reason behind the pop-up plants that we hand-painted as well.”
The inspiration for the design, which was a collaboration between Shake Shack and Bad Student, was the rich architectural history of Makati, the store’s newest location, and Greenbelt’s lush greenery.
For Bad Student, print is alive and thriving
At a time when even the biggest publishing companies are going digital, why Risograph printing?
“Because it is tactile! We always say that Risograph is a bridge from digital to analog. We’re so used to designing on our screens (tablets, laptops, PCs) that we start to feel fatigued and uninspired,” said the duo. “But seeing your designs printed in these vibrant colors (imperfection and all!) and actually being able to hold it is extremely refreshing in this digital age.”
The duo also believes that no matter how deep into digital and technology we have become, print is here to stay.
“Print (and paper) will always be an artist’s greatest ally. Print will never die as long as there’s an artist willing to create. In the digital age where everything is ephemeral. Our feeds are changing by the second, trends are different each day and virality are often short-lived; given the physical nature of print, it has a way of standing the test of time,” said Pau and Dyam.
And Bad Student is doing their part in making sure that print stays alive. A portion of what they earn from commercial projects goes to grants that they offer to Filipino artists who want to publish their work in Risograph.
Last November 2019, they held their very first After School Program, a mini art book fair and pop-up event where artists were invited to have their original work printed under Bad Student press. Right now, they’ve given a grant to 11 Filipino artists whose works will be published soon.
“As an artist, nothing beats the excitement and butterflies you feel when your ideas start to actualize and take a physical form. Printed media has a way of invoking that feeling and we think that’s the magic behind it.”
