Title | HABITAT |
Subtitle | [During Lockdown] |
Artist / Creator | Sumi Perera |
Press Name | SuPerPress Editions |
Artist's Nationality | United Kingdom |
Place of Publication | Redhill, Surrey |
Publication Date | 2021 |
Author of Text | Sumi Perera |
Process / Technique | Photographic digital images |
Number of Images | 10 |
Structure / Binding | cut and folded booklet with a dustcover/sleeve |
Medium / Materials | Photobook |
Paper Stock | Card 200gsm |
Number of Pages | 18 |
Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3 x 4.2 x .3 inches. Extends out to 10 inches |
Edition Size | Limited edition of 50 |
Box / Wrapper | Dust sleeve |
Signed & Numbered | Signed & Numbered Edition |
Never before, were we as a human race made aware of our habitat during the global pandemic, when the unseen assailant became exaggerated. The word "habitat" has been in use since about 1755 and derives from the Latin habitāre, to inhabit, from habēre, to have or to hold. The main components of a habitat are shelter, water, food & space. A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home, meets all the environmental conditions an organism needs to survive. This work features unseen elements within a hexagonal grid of inaccessible spaces, outside the St Pancras International railway station in London UK, next door to the British Library (BL). The hexagon ubiquitously found in nature (favoured by the bee) is the strongest shape with greatest torque in mechanics. It has great religious & spiritual significance too.
It originated during a workshop run between the BL & RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) exploring the common features between a book & the built environment.
It originated during a workshop run between the BL & RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) exploring the common features between a book & the built environment.
Artist Bio
Sumi Perera is a interdisciplinary artist, academic & curator who makes interactive print installations, often using electroconductive-ink to generate sound & thermochromic-inks, to mutate in colour, exploiting her background as a doctor & scientist born in Sri Lanka & living & working in UK. She obtained a MA at Camberwell College, London 2004 and has taught at Middlesex University & the Royal Academy, London. She has held many international residencies: teaching residency at CAFA, Beijing China in 2007; recipient of the first Guest Artist Fellowship & solo show at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice 2017, Stone Lithography at Pierre Presse, France 2017; The National Open Art Residency in London 2016.She exhibits internationally & has won awards/prizes: Prix de Print, Art in Print USA 2015, Gold Medal-Seoul 1st International Artistbook Competition 2005; 1st Prize-SHELTER, USA; Flourish Award 2015-excellence in printmaking & solo show. Public & private collections of her work: Tate (10works); Victoria & Albert museum (12works); Yale Centre of British Art (2); Ashmolean (2); China, Japan, Italy & Australia etc. She had a 12year retrospective of collaborative projects: “Sumi Perera et al.” at CFPR, UWE Bristol 2017; & at IMPACT10 & IMPACT11 [International Printmaking Conference-Spain’18 & Hong Kong ‘21].