Gabriella Marcella — RISOTTO Studio
Interview

Gabriella
Marcella

× RISOTTO Studio Glasgow, Scotland
Gabriella Marcella
"I had one machine,
a lot of curiosity
and a big appetite for making things."
RISOTTO Studio × Glasgow
The Interview
7 Questions — 7 Answers
Q.01

Hi Gabriella — how would you describe yourself, RISOTTO Studio and the work you do?

I'm Gabriella Marcella, an artist, designer and the founder of RISOTTO Studio in Glasgow.

RISOTTO is a Risograph print and design studio, but I've always seen it as more than just a place that makes prints. It's a production studio, a shop, a workshop space, a design practice and a bit of a playground for colour, paper and process.

We work across print, stationery, workshops, artist editions and brand collaborations, all with Risograph printing at the centre. The studio has grown around the machine's very particular way of working: one colour at a time, slightly unpredictable, very graphic and never too perfect.

A lot of what we do is about taking something that could feel mechanical or technical, and making it feel warm, joyful and human. I'm interested in systems, but also in what happens when those systems are pushed, layered, misregistered or stretched a little too far.

Gabriella Marcella
Risograph machine
Q.02

RISOTTO Studio has such a distinctive visual identity. Do you remember the moment you first fell in love with Risograph printing?

I first discovered Risograph printing when I was studying independent publishing at Pratt Institute, in New York. I bought my first machine in 2010 and had it printing from my bedroom, which feels quite funny now, because it was the beginning of everything.

I was immediately drawn to how direct it felt. It was fast, graphic and physical. I liked that I could make something that felt finished, but still raw at the same time.

At that stage, I was making a lot of zines and printed experiments. The Riso gave me a way to get work off the screen quickly and into the world.

I also loved the limitations. The process is full of rules: one colour at a time, paper limits, drying time, ink coverage, machine moods. But I've always found creative freedom easier when there are parameters. It gives me something to push against.

"It gives me something to push against."
Q.03

Your work feels playful and joyful with incredibly bold colours. Where does your visual language come from?

I think my visual language has come from working very closely with the Risograph for a long time. The machine has a very specific personality, and I've spent years learning what it likes, what it hates and where the interesting accidents happen.

Colour is definitely the thing I return to again and again. I'm drawn to combinations that feel a bit fizzy on the eyes. I like colours that vibrate against each other, especially when they are layered and you get that extra third colour appearing through the overlap.

At RISOTTO, colour is not just decoration. It is the structure of the work.

A favourite combination changes all the time, but I always love fluorescent pink with something earthy or unexpected, like burgundy. I like when one colour is shouting and the other one is holding it together.

RISOTTO colour prints
RISOTTO Studio Glasgow
Q.05

RISOTTO Studio started in Glasgow in 2012. Looking back now, did you imagine the studio would grow into what it is today?

Not at all. I don't think I had a grand plan at the beginning. I had one machine, a lot of curiosity and a big appetite for making things.

RISOTTO grew quite naturally out of the work itself. Each part of the studio came from paying attention to what the process could do, and what people seemed to need from it.

The studio has stayed intentionally small, but the ambition has grown. I'm not really interested in growth for the sake of growth. I'm more interested in building something that has depth, character and a strong sense of purpose.

Now RISOTTO has a much bigger home in Glasgow, with proper space for production, workshops, storage, experiments and events.

"The studio has become a physical version of the process: colourful, practical, layered and always slightly in motion."
Works by RISOTTO Studio
Q.06

Beyond RISOTTO Studio itself, what excites you creatively at the moment?

"I like work that sits between design, art, performance and function,
where it is not always clear what category it belongs to."

I'm excited by the places where print starts to move beyond paper — furniture, interiors, textiles, costumes, spaces or workshops. I'm interested in how a graphic language can become physical, and how colour and pattern can change the way people behave in a space.

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about RISOTTO as a kind of production playground. Not just a print studio, but a place where ideas can be tested through making. I like work that sits between design, art, performance and function, where it is not always clear what category it belongs to.

I'm also very interested in slowness at the moment. RISO CLUB has taught me a lot about what happens when you keep returning to a simple format over a long period of time.

GlasgowGlasgow, Scotland
Q.07

If someone visits Glasgow for the first time, where should they go to experience the creative spirit of the city?

Glasgow's creative spirit is not always in one obvious place. It's in the energy of people making things happen with limited resources, often in slightly strange buildings, with a lot of humour and determination.

I'd always suggest visiting Good Press for independent publishing, zines and printed matter. The Modern Institute and Tramway are both brilliant for contemporary art. A walk around the Botanic Gardens followed by a pastry at Cotton Rake is also a favourite.

I'm based at The Glue Factory — a former industrial building now home to studios, workshops and creative production. That kind of space says a lot about Glasgow to me: practical, rough around the edges, generous and full of people building things from the ground up.

  • An independent bookshop dedicated to zines, artists' books and printed matter from around the world — one of the best destinations in the UK for independent print culture.

  • A leading contemporary art gallery representing international and Scottish artists since 1998, with a consistently thoughtful and ambitious programme.

  • A major arts venue presenting ambitious visual art, performance and theatre in a beautifully converted former tram depot on the south side of the city.

  • A much-loved neighbourhood café and bakery in the West End, known for beautifully made pastries, good coffee and a warm, unhurried atmosphere.

  • A peaceful Victorian glasshouse and garden in the West End — a favourite spot for a slow walk among tropical plants, seasonal flowers and fresh Glasgow air.

  • A former industrial building now home to creative studios, workshops and production spaces — RISOTTO Studio is based here, and it says a lot about Glasgow's spirit of making.

RISOTTO Studio
"Practical, rough around the edges, generous and full of people building things from the ground up."
RISOTTO Studio Glasgow, Scotland