University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Sumi Perera
30th July - 14th August Tower block foyer cases
15th August - 1st September Bower Ashton Library
Sumi Perera
The process of designing is as important as the ‘finished’ artist book, which often incorporates elements from various stages of the development in the end product. The reader/viewer is frequently invited to engage, by re-arranging the sequence of events/pages, by inscription, adding or subtracting, allowing the editorial control to be shared.
Selected List of Artist Books on show:
Turn The Page…
A blind embossed manually controlled laser cut narrative that is contemplative of the disruption caused by the need to physically turn the page in music manuscripts. Also available as an audio recording of the page turn of the original manuscript.(exhibited at Book to Book at the Leeds Art Gallery).
Building Blocks
A series of artist books that explore issues around the space in architecture. The sequence of etched, embossed, stitched and manually controlled laser cut pages, printed with burnt dust may be re-arranged by the reader to build up multiple narratives (Melville Charitable Trust Award (1st prize) at Shelter, Massachusetts, a touring show in USA 2008-09)
Clothes Encounters
There are multiple readings throughout the book as those that exist within the hieroglyphics that evolve within encounters with clothes. (exhibited in a touring show of the UK titled: art of the STITCH and the Wrexham Print International.)
The Tale Of A Dobe
An enquiry into how pets are tailored and manipulated to satisfy human requirements and specifications. The book consists of nine loose pages, the control of the sequence and the layout is handed to the reader. (exhibited at the Vestry House Museum & TACTILE, Otter Gallery, Chichester)
Through The Pinhole
This book contains a series of photographs of the reverse of found vintage photographs. The book reflects nostalgically on the era of the staged photo, the status of the studio and the sitter.
Marginalia - FLT
Marginalia pays homage to Fermat’s Last Theorem, one of the most significant notes made on the margin of any book, This 10-page book, with an uncoated margin running along its cover, is held together by a single brass screw post and may be either flipped or splayed.
Sumi Perera exhibits internationally and is the recipient of the Grand Prize at the 1st International Book Arts Competition, Seoul, South Korea 2005; and the Birgit Skiold Award for excellence in Book Arts at the LAB (London Artist Bookfair) ‘05, Institute of Contemporary Art, (ICA) London; Melville Charitable Trust Award (1st Prize) at Shelter, Boston, USA. 2008 (touring show of the USA); and a prize at the Society of Bookbinders International Competition 2009. Her works are held in the Tate Britain Special Collection; Victoria & Albert Museum; Guanlan Museum, China; Grafisk vaerksted-Naestved, Denmark; Sakima Art Museum, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan; the printROOM at Rotterdam, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and the British Library.
She is an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Painters-Printmakers (ARE) and the 62 Group of Textile Artists and often incorporates elements of traditional and digital printmaking techniques, stitch and incision into her books.
sumi_perera@hotmail.com
www.sumiperera.com
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