The book examines the neighbourhood of Ringsend and its relationship with its maritime environment. Historically called ‘Raytown’ due the abundance of stingrays consumed by inhabitants, Ringsend has become largely untethered from its sea economy identity due to changes in the topography, overfishing and industrialisation. Leen’s project uses letterpress typography and linocut designs to portray the stories and memories of local inhabitants and the present-day situation of the bay area, collected through weeks of interviews. The book is printed letterpress on the National Print Museum’s Vandercook No. 4 and bound using traditional techniques.

The exhibition will examine the design processes used by Leen to communicate the collective memories of the area, and impact of environmental threats on the seascape and society, to a wider audience. Typography—all handset from the Museum’s collection—, linocut designs, and the concertina format all work together to celebrate the historical diversity of sea life in the area and contrast it with the present situation of the community and ecosystem. The exhibition will feature various artists proofs and sketches, exploring why certain choices in design and typeface were made and how these choices can prove to be impactful communication tools.

The exhibition will be launched at the start of Design Week with an event celebrating the book, the power of design, and the Ringsend community. Leen will demonstrate the printing process on the Museum’s Vandercook stop-cylinder press. Local residents who collaborated with Leen for the project will share their maritime memories and oral histories of Ringsend, and Leen will speak about the process of using design to bring attention to environmental and social issues and, hopefully, inspire change.