This original artwork was exhibited in Katie Alleva's successful solo exhibition called TRACING THREADS.

Originally titled 'Ancestral Blood', this work reflects on Alleva’s Italian heritage. She spent time scouring through the Smithsonian Archives to find a subsection dedicated to Italian Printmakers. She interpreted the old engraving and digital image into a large cyanotype print.

The up-scaling draws closer attention to the beauty of the angels holding up what Alleva believes to be the metaphoric 'circle of stars'. These stars represent our search for lost culture and language and our shifting cultural identities within an ever-changing and ever-moving universe and people.

The loose threads represent the entanglement of family bloodlines, cultural shifts, unknown ancestry and subsequent changes in identity due to the movement of people after migration. Overall, this piece is a reminder to tap into our unique, familiar past and honour our ancestors’ wisdom and cultural knowledge.

MEDIUM: Cyanotype, ink, stitching, threads, Renaissance wax protection coat

PRINT SIZE: 70 x 50 cm.

FRAME SIZE: 75.5 x 56.5 cm, Framed with a beautiful Tasmanian, very solid and sturdy, high-quality wooden box frame

Please note: the paper print has been carefully adhered to the canvas with archival glue, protecting it from dust and UV. The frame does not have glass. This work is framed like a painting, as this is part of the conceptual nature of the work. It is read like a painting in a manner of speaking and not a print. Or is it a play on the Salon notions of a painting having a higher status than a print? Alleva is a provocateur and asks us to question the patriarchal hierarchies of the art industry.

For more information about the exhibition click here: https://www.printcouncil.org.au/tracing-threads-katie-alleva-2/

Made in 2022 - 2023. This is an original and collectable contemporary printmaking piece by Australian printmaker and visual artist Katie Alleva. This work is protected by copyright, 2025. This image and artwork cannot be reproduced without the creator’s consent. For inquiries, please contact: Mullum Print Making Email: allevaprintmaking@gmail.com