A printmaking workshop began in the capital yesterday with the participation of artists from Bangladesh and India.

On the occasion, the city's Galleri Kaya, where the event is being held, has been turned into an etching factory with zinc plates, acid jars, rollers and needles lined up along a large etching press inside the gallery.

Artists were seen working there on different stages of etching - a labour intensive method of printmaking -yesterday.

The six-day long workshop titled "Passion and Impression" is being organised by Galleri Kaya.

Indian artists Atin Basak, Jayanta Naskar and Ramendra Nath Kastha alongside Bangladeshi artists Anisuzzaman, Ashraful Hasan, Nagarbasi Barman, Rafi Haque, Sheikh Mohammad Rokonuzzaman and Sujit Sarkar shared their ideas and techniques on printmaking on the first day of the workshop.

"Workshops like these will inform people about the potentials of prints and help popularise it in the country," said Gautam Chakraborty, director of Galleri Kaya, while inaugurating the workshop.

Refuting the notion that prints are not as original as paintings, he said, "Prints are not only as original as any medium of art, but also are intrinsically democratic and inexpensive."

Gautam thanked ABC Group for patronising the event.