“Through the residency (Perth Letterpress Studio), I rediscovered my passion for print and uncovered new methods of working, such as utilising the brayer to create layers of colour and manipulating ink on paper and block. This experience revitalised my printmaking practice, evoking the sensation of returning to college after a prolonged hiatus, and I eagerly anticipate applying these newfound insights in future projects.”

- Perth Design Week Archive

Dominique Coiffait is a printmaker whose practice is grounded in close observation and an evolving relationship with place. After a long career in the fast-paced world of international textile design, he stepped away from the commercial sphere in search of a slower, more meaningful creative life. This transition led him to the world of printmaking — a tactile, deliberate process that now sits at the core of his work. Since relocating from the UK to Western Australia in 2022, Coiffait has been developing his printmaking practice while immersing himself in the unique ecology of his new home.

Working from his studio in Bassendean and as a member of Swan River Print Studio in Applecross, Coiffait draws inspiration from Western Australia’s richly biodiverse landscapes. “The more I discover, the more I’m in awe,” he reflects. His recent works explore the Northern Mallee scrublands of the Mid West — a region teeming with plant life, often referred to simply as ‘the bush.’ Through the slow process of hand-carving and layering multiple lino blocks, he constructs detailed prints that echo the complexity and resilience of this environment. Each piece is a quiet meditation on adaptation, migration, and connection to country — shaped as much by lived experience as by artistic process.

Image: @lukerileycreative