The revival of risograph printing has attracted much attention in the past couple of years, as it offers a way to propagate the leisurely allure of print in an age of digital saturation. Bad Student, a well-loved Manila-based risograph art press and design studio run by Pau Tiu and Dyam Gonzales, remains a pioneer–in fact, the only one– in this field.

Unfortunately, Bad Student became a casualty of Typhoon Ulysses which wiped out its riso machines and equipment.

“In just three hours, the water level rose up to six feet and completely submerged our entire studio,” the Bad Student founders stated on their Instagram account.

“After surviving the flood, it quickly dawned on us that we lost our business, our studio, and our home,” they added.

But the response they’ve received online so far has been overwhelming.

“All [were] telling us not to lose hope and have the courage to rebuild Bad Student once more,” the business partners said.

Facing challenges is nothing new to the pair. Like other young artists, they’d had to deal with the woes of freelancing and the perils of being underestimated. Back in 2018, Pau said in an interview how Bad Student had always aimed for risograph’s revival despite their shoestring budget. This determination to forge ahead despite the odds hasn’t changed.

Supporting local creatives has always been part of our ethos. Right now, artists like Bad Student need us more than ever. They’ve started a donation drive to help rebuild the studio that their fans and printmakers alike cherish.

If you’d like to support Bad Student, you may send your donations here::

GCash – 0929-3005993 (Pau Tiu) / 0915-8465513 (Gino Bueza)

Paypal – [email protected]

Photos by Czar Kristoff (lead) and courtesy of Bad Student