Capturing Fire Horse Energy: My Concept Behind a Risograph Print

Back in December 2025, I saw a post from Riso Pop, the local risograph studio here in Amsterdam, announcing their open call for a Fire Horse print. I was immediately excited to participate and ended up creating my piece this past January. This is actually the second time I am joining one of their open calls. It is always so nice to have a specific theme to work on, because it really pushes you to create something you might never think of on your own. Plus, being in a group of amazing creatives makes the creating process even more fun and builds so much anticipation.

The Energy of the Fire Horse

You might have heard the term “Fire Horse” very often, particularly right before and just as we stepped into 2026. The reason why people are widely mentioning it is due to the rare, profound energy it brings to the entire year. In the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 combines the horse, which is a symbol of natural independence, with the fierce intensity of the fire element. This specific pairing only occurs once every 60 years. Astrologers say a Fire Horse year brings fast-paced change, unstoppable drive, and immense passion. 

Given the concrete meaning of the Fire Horse elements, my goal was to capture that exact wildfire energy in my design. To help people truly feel the vibrant and explosive energy of the year, I chose a bold colour palette of yellow, pink, and orange. These hues perfectly cultivate the intense, radiating warmth I wanted for this print. While the horse is the main character of 2026 and the focus of the open call, I intentionally avoided drawing it in sharp detail. Think about looking directly into a roaring fire. You do not see sharp outlines or crystal clear details. Instead, you feel the raw heat and the movement in the air. That is the exact sensation I wanted to recreate, which is why I chose to illustrate the horse in a much more abstract, fluid form.

Ancient Calligraphy as Spiritual Fuel

Keeping that unstoppable drive and immense passion in mind, I imagined the horse galloping freely across a vast landscape, never even thinking about slowing down. You can almost feel the air heating up in its wake. In the Five Elements of traditional Chinese philosophy, Wood is the specific element that feeds and sustains Fire. I wanted to capture that energetic relationship in the artwork. So, I pictured the horse soaring above a massive forest. Instead of representing literal destruction, this forest acts as symbolic, spiritual fuel, allowing the horse’s fiery spirit to burn brighter and travel even further.

Rather than drawing literal pine trees or oak branches, I decided to lean deeper into the cultural roots of the zodiac. I selected the Chinese characters for “Fire” and “Horse” to construct the landscape. To make this work visually, I used an ancient style of calligraphy known as seal script (篆書). Because seal script retains strong pictographic roots, its tall, organic, and curving strokes naturally resemble the twisting trunks and branches of a woodland. I arranged these brushstrokes to mimic the shape of a dense forest. The characters are woven directly into the landscape, remaining just recognisable enough to be discovered by the viewer, but abstract enough to blend perfectly into the fiery scene.

After adding the final touches to the layers, here is the finished print ✨

A Celebration of Local Creativity

A huge thank you to Riso Pop for putting this whole initiative together. This year, they received an overwhelming response from all over the world with more than 520 entries. Unfortunately, my piece was not selected as part of the 70 to be physically showcased in the exhibition. However, Aafke, the founder of Riso Pop, created a wonderful digital installation to project every single submission in the gallery right next to the printed works. It was such a thoughtful touch that made everyone feel included.

I feel incredibly grateful to have participated in this open call. Beyond pushing my creative boundaries to create something I never would have thought of on my own, it gave me a spontaneous chance to connect with amazing, inspiring creatives right here in town. Meeting them gave me the spark I needed to keep pushing my work forward. In fact, they are the reason I finally decided to start sharing my creative journey on Substack, so a special thank you to Thaïs Zuchetti for that inspiration!

I hope there will be many more opportunities to create together in the future, and I will definitely continue to share those projects here.

Thank you so much for reading and following along. If you love this print and want to bring some of that Fire Horse energy into your own home, or if you are looking for a unique gift for a friend, you can find it available at the link below:

✨🐎 Year of the Fire Horse Risograph Art Print

Keep creating,
Michelle