Alexis Nutini opened his South Philadelphia print shop in 2018 as a tribute to his roots, writes Némesis Mora for Billy Penn at WHYY.

Since beginning his artistic career at 19, he’d often travel to his native Mexico to show friends the new paintings he had worked on.

His friends would jokingly describe his work in Mexican Spanish as, “meh…es un dos, tres” (it’s a two, three).

The name of his print shop, “Dos Tres Press” is an homage to that.

With a career that has now spanned over 25 years, Nutini has learned a lot, especially not always striving for perfection.

“Early in my career, I had the wrong idea that all my artwork had to be perfect,” Nutini said. “Dos Tres Press is a reminder of where I grew up and that not everything has to be so serious.” 

Nutini’s most influential moment came when he received a Fulbright fellowship to go to Barcelona, Spain, to make prints.

It was then that he realized he could make a living out of printmaking.

At Dos Tres Press, Nutini serves as a master printmaker for other artists, specializing in traditional techniques of woodcuts and combining it with new plate-making technologies.

He eyes collaborative projects and expanded possibilities.

Read more about Alexis Nutini’s printmaking journey in Billy Penn at WHYY. 

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