Turner Contemporary announces a new Limited Edition Print by Michael Armitage
Turner Contemporary is launching Turner Contemporary Editions – a new series of prints by leading artists – with a commission by the critically acclaimed painter Michael Armitage.
Turner Contemporary Editions, realised in generous collaboration with Counter Editions, is a new venture to raise funds to support the gallery’s work.
Michael Armitage is known for his powerful and lyrical oil paintings on Lubugo, a traditional bark cloth from Uganda. He weaves narratives drawn from Western art history, historic and cultural events, personal memories and aspects of East African culture and folklore into his paintings.
In 2017, Turner Contemporary staged ‘Peace Coma’, Armitage’s first show in a UK public gallery. Since then, Armitage has gone on to be considered one of the leading painters of his generation, with exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2019); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2020); The Royal Academy, London (2021) and Kunsthalle Basel (2022). And in 2020 he founded the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute, a non-profit visual arts space in Kenya to promote art by practitioners in East Africa.
Armitage has retained a close relationship with Turner Contemporary since his show, first as an Artist Trustee (2017-2021), and more recently as an Ambassador for our work. This new limited edition print, Vision II is based on the painting Vision (2013), which was included in his exhibition at Turner Contemporary.
Michael Armitage says: “I am thrilled to be the first artist to make a print for Turner Contemporary Editions, and to have worked with Counter Editions in their Margate print studio to create Vision II. Turner Contemporary supports artists at pivotal moments in their careers and works with thousands of children and young people each year through their learning programme. The sales from Turner Contemporary Editions will help to support this work with communities in Margate and across Kent in the years ahead.”
Clarrie Wallis, Director of Turner Contemporary, says: “It is an honour to launch Turner Contemporary Editions with a print by Michael Armitage, an artist I hugely admire. Michael has had a long relationship with Turner Contemporary and we are proud of his ongoing support of our activities. We are facing rapidly increasing costs in a period where we are still in the process of rebuilding after the pandemic. This initiative will help us sustain our impact, our continued commitment to artistic excellence and our championing of the importance of creative learning.”
To purchase the first Turner Contemporary Editions print, head to our online shop where you will be able to choose between free click & collect or express delivery within the UK.
Editions 1-25: £3000 – Sold out
Editions 26-40: £3500
Editions 41-45: £4000
Editions 46 -50: £5000
Framing is available for Click & Collect orders only. Please get in contact with us at shop@turnercontemporary.org for European and International order delivery. Please see our T&Cs here
About Michael Armitage:
Michael Armitage was born in 1984, in Nairobi, Kenya, and currently lives and works between Nairobi and London. He studied at Slade School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools.
His recent solo exhibitions include: The Promised Land, MCA Australia, Sydney and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy (2019); Projects 110, Museum of Modern Art, New York (2019); Paradise Edict, Haus der Kunst, Munich and Royal Academy of Arts, London (2021), Account of an Illiterate Man, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (2021); You Who are Still Alive, Kunsthalle Basel; Michael Armitage, at the Calcografía Nacional, Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid (2022).
In 2022 he was elected a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and was announced by the Royal Mint as the designer of a new £1 coin for the United Kingdom, which will enter circulation in 2023, marking the coin’s 40th anniversary.
About Turner Contemporary and Turner Contemporary Editions:
Turner Contemporary is one of the UK’s leading art galleries. Our free year-round exhibition and learning programmes celebrate the art of the past and present in all its complexity and diversity. The gallery’s emphasis is on supporting artists at pivotal moments in their careers and championing the energy of the wider artistic community in Margate. We play a leading role in advocating for the importance of curiosity, critical thinking, and creative learning. Our pioneering learning programme works with thousands of children, young people and adults every year.
Located in one of the UK’s most deprived districts, we are committed to inspiring through art and developing social as well as economic impacts that help tackle local challenges. Positioning ourselves as a cultural anchor, we foster relationships and build networks between artists, art professionals, and organisations looking to increase co-production opportunities and champion a more creative and connected community. We are widely recognised as an essential catalyst for the regeneration of East Kent and have a strong track record of driving positive impact through the arts. Margate, our home, has fast become one of the most exciting creative hubs in the UK with a growing art scene.
Turner Contemporary Editions is a new initiative, launched in partnership with Counter Editions, to offer limited-edition prints by leading contemporary artists. The initiative will sustain the gallery’s work by enabling us to continue offering free access to art and culture, promote wellbeing, encourage debate, inspire new ways of thinking by offering creative learning to our communities.
About Counter Editions:
Founded in 2000 Counter Editions commissions and produces prints and multiples by leading international contemporary artists, including Tracey Emin, Chris Ofili, Howard Hodgkin, Rachel Whiteread, Frank Bowling, Anthea Hamilton, Martin Creed and many more. They collaborate closely with the artist to produce exclusive editions in different mediums including screen print, photography, etching, fine art lithography, collage and bronze.
Since the inception of Counter Editions they have become the UK’s leading website for buying contemporary art. On the strength of its history and artist collaborations, Counter Editions was chosen to produce the official prints of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They have successfully raised funds for Save the Children’s 100th Anniversary and their next project will to celebrate Greenpeace’s 50th Anniversary.
Counter Editions has worked with over 70 leading artists, including five Turner Prize winners and have collaborated with major institutions such as the Serpentine Gallery and Hayward Gallery in London and the New Museum in New York. They have co-published editions with the Tate galleries, while their editions have been purchased by numerous international collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Kunstmuseum Zurich, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the British Council, London.
Image: Courtesy of Michael Armitage
