Exhibition: 11 May — 3 July 2018
Opening Hours | 10:00 — 22:00
Venue | Open MUJI, MUJI Plaza Singapura (Free Entry)

A World Debut: New Lithographs by Nigel Peake

Nigel Peake is an architect and artist based in Paris and Northern Ireland. When IDÉE discovered his book of drawings, we felt a refreshing sense of surprise and attraction to the unique worldview unfolding within it, and immediately requested the printing of them as lithographs at Idem Paris, a historical print studio located in the capital city of France.

Peake’s colourful and intricate images depict familiar scenes and urban architecture that offer the viewer new perspectives. His landscapes, whose compositions are cut out based on his own unique angle, show a sense of reality of the scenes being depicted, and also have a playful element of fantasy, as if to show us a world that we are not seeing. We invite you to enjoy the work of Nigel Peake—we are confident it will add richness to your life.

About Idem Paris

In operation in Paris since 1997. Its predecessor is a long-established lithography studio with a history of over 100 years. The studio with walls adorned with casually-hung masterpieces, and the cast-iron printers with their special presence, used since the studio’s establishment, convey a grand sense of history. This beautiful atelier has carried on the Parisian history for over a century by serving many artists, from the old masters like Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, and Miró, to today’s contemporary artists. They create their lithographs in an environment here that is in many ways, quite dreamlike.

About the Theme

Peake chose a theme from among his past 12 years of work, and created new lithographs based on that theme. “It is about going back through the past and showcasing it from a new perspective. And my hope was that—through this “RE” + “TURN” — the “turning” would bring about a new perspective, thereby creating something new. I also imagined that when I look at my old pieces, I would be able to make discoveries within them.” says Peake. “I felt that the theme “RETURN” was a good one because it’s about taking the pieces I selected and giving them new life, thus creating the opportunity to see them from a new viewpoint. It is the idea of going back to the past while also creating something new.”

How a lithograph is made

Lithography is a printing method that has been used extensively since the 19th century in poster art. Idem Paris has continued to practise the traditional printing techniques and supported the likes of Picasso and Matisse. This is the studio IDÉE uses for printing. In lithography, each colour is printed separately, starting from the lightest colour. The printer’s work starts by mixing the inks to create the ideal hues, drawing on their many years of experience and intuition.

1. The print is separated into each colour and printed, starting with the lightest colour.
2. Looking at the printed prototype, Peake checks the outcome of the colours.
3. As layers of colours are printed, Peake and the printers check for misalignments.
4. Peake can’t help but smile as he sees a print that has come out just the way he wanted.
5. Peake adds his signature to each printed piece.

The Lineup

	[FACADE] L Size “I like building facades beacuse they are as expressive as faces. It’s true of lithographs, too. The little surprises that come with overlapping and slipping enriches their expressions. That’s what makes it fun.” 73×55 (cm) 4550002512255 S$1,440.00
	[TICKET] M Size “A metro ticket used in Paris. When a ticket gets used up, it gets stamped with the word ‘used’. But the ink is light, so I put a cut in it so that I know it’s done. I was initially doing a landscape, but I kept zooming in and ended up with this ticket. Ultimately, I minimized the landscape and focused on the ticket.” 52.9×41.4(cm) 4550002512279 S$760.00
	[BLOCK] M Size “A view (of an apartment block) that I saw from my friend’s home in Paris that I had rented for a long time. It’s based on a piece that I gave to that friend in place of paying rent.” 52.9×41.4(cm) 4550002512262 S$760.00
	[PATH] S Size “It’s an image of when I biked through a plain on my bicycle trip from Edinburgh, UK to Budapest, Hungary.” 39.9×30.8 (cm) 4550002512316 S$570.00
	[ROOFTOP] S Size “A landscape I saw looking down from a window in Shanghai eight years ago. It made a strong impression on me that I still remember.” 39.9×30.8 (cm) 4550002512323 S$570.00
	[YARD] S Size “It was raining when I was in Basel, Switzerland. This is an image I saw from above as the rain was hitting the tiles in an inner courtyard, making many sounds and expressions.” 39.9×30.8 (cm) 4550002512309 S$570.00
	[TUNNEL] S Size “When I visited Idem Paris in June 2017, I went to buy coffee. This is a cut-out of three chimneys I saw then from the coffee shop.” 39.9×30.8 (cm) 455002512330 S$570.00

The Anatomy of the Artwork

Limited Quantity: All works are produced in limited quantities and indicated by an edition number. The edition number does not differ in value and cannot be chosen.

Signature: All the artworks consist Nigel Peake’s autograph.

• For L and M size, it is signed as “NIGEL PEAKE”
• For S size, it is signed as “NP”

Idem Paris Stamp: All the artworks have “idem paris” embossed.

Wood Frame: Made in Japan using Ayasu material (Broodleaf tree family). In order to highlight the goodness of the work, box frame type was adopted to make the work emerge. The thick frame has a dept of 5cm.

Paper Commitment: Adopted Arush. It was born in 500 years since 1492, and used for the best art work. Neutral with 100% cotton, to prevent any acidic deterioration. The pieces are cut into small pieces, which directs handmade feeling to the works.