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Mariane Ibrahim is pleased to present the fourth offering of Mariane Ibrahim Editions, featuring Nigerian born, German based, artist Peter Uka, entitled Portrait-Femme. Portrait-Femme is a lithograph on Velin BFK rives cotton paper, signed and numbered by the artist. This striking first edition from Uka depicts a modest tribute to various female figure’s present in his life.
“As I begin to understand influence and the mechanisms that have led me to become who I am, my mother, siblings and wife are the most redeeming. This edition is an homage and a symbol of my dedication to them. It was important I mark the exploration into this new medium with something significant, a thread connecting my foundation and evolution as an artist,” emphasizes Peter Uka.
The final print is a combination of Uka’s lived experiences, and memory. Portrait-Femme shows the beauty of lithography, as a medium, calling attention to its distinctness from oil painting through highlighting the ways in which Uka was compelled to release control over the finished artwork. What is left behind is natural, blurry, and unpolished; nodding to the poetics of time past.
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“The subtly of poses in my work are very significant. I wanted to tap into instants and postures from my past. I have reminiscences of simple moments from my childhood: my aunt holding her handbag when going to the market, getting ready to go to church, or going out to meet friends. I quickly sketched the pose and started embellishing small elements from there.”
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ABOUT IDEM PARISIdem Paris stands as one of the oldest printing houses and one of the only that still uses the traditional techniques of lithography and today dedicated to contemporary artists including Sophie Calle, JR, William Kentridge, Karl Lagerfeld, David Lynch, Paul McCarthy, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Serra and many more.Built in 1881 by printer Eugene Dufrenoy, the workshop located at 49 rue de Montparnasse was created to install Dufrenoy’s lithographic presses. Housing two floors in 15,000 square feet, the workshop began with 19th century flat machines operated by belts driven by propeller shafts and a steam boiler that was used to provide energy for the machines.The premises were later occupied by the Michard Printing Company, which specialized in creating special edition maps filled with vibrant colors. Finally, the workshop fell into the hands of Fernand Mourlot in 1976 and became a fine art print shop. The brother duo and craftsmen were part of the revival of lithography and began working closely with artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall and many other artists of the 20th century. The Mourlot company is now known by its current name, Idem Paris.
