Alan Kitching

Alan Kitching RDI AGI Hon FRCA, is one of the world’s foremost practitioners of letterpress typographic design and printmaking. Born 1940 in Darlington, Co. Durham, he was an apprentice compositor (1956–61) before meeting Anthony Froshaug and co-establishing the experimental printing workshop at Watford College of Technology, School of Art (1964). He worked with Froshaug until 1967, but continued to collaborate with him on student projects at the Central School of Art & Design. In 1973 Alan began his own design practice in London. In 1977 he partnered with Derek Birdsall at Omnific and started letterpress printing there in 1985. He then went on to establish The Typography Workshop in Clerkenwell (1989), and began teaching through letterpress at the Royal College of Art (1991–2006). From 1994 he worked in partnership with designer/writer Celia Stothard (later his wife). Sadly Celia passed away in December 2010 after a long and brave battle with cancer. Alan continues to exhibit and lecture across the globe, and is renowned for his expressive use of wood and metal letterforms in commissions and limited-edition prints.