Peter Ursem is a printmaker, working with linocut/relief, woodcut and mono-printing practices. During Print in Action Festival he will be delivering a presentation about his lino printing practice, including inspirations, process and challenges. We caught up with Peter to find out more about his art and what inspires him.
Dutch born artist Peter Ursem was gripped by lino printing when he moved to the UK 25 years ago. Since then he has won several awards and is now well known for his poetic and colourful landscape prints.
“I grew up in The Netherlands where I graduated in literature from the University of Utrecht and drawing, painting and printmaking from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. I moved from the Netherlands to Dorset in 1998, and from Dorset to Cornwall in 2011, where my current studio overlooks the Tamar Valley.”
Location is really important to Peter in his art work; “As an artist I specialises in multi-coloured lino prints, as well as in drawings and paintings. The landscape is a main theme, with a special interest in landscapes that radiate ‘Genius Loci’, a spirit of place that hints at invisible connections and stories that may have gone on before.”
Peter was awarded the ‘Debut’ award from Arts Centre ‘Stroom’, The Hague in 1995, and various Arts Council awards in this country, including ‘Year of the Artist’ (2001) for his book of woodcuts of the river Stour. In 2010 he had a major solo show (Dorset Footprint) in the Dorset County Museum, and in 2017 at Plymouth College of Art (As the River Flows). He is a member of the MAKE SouthWest and exhibits regularly with the Arborealist Group.
Peter also loves to write; “I’ve published a trilogy for young adults (The Fortune of the Seventh Stone, The Truth Teller and Black as Ink), under the name Petrus Ursem, which is characterised by a similar visual experience as the landscape, as the backdrop for a thrilling adventure story. In my text artworks, lino prints of poetic texts, his interest in words and images merge together.”
During Print in Action Festival, Peter will be holding a presentational talk, going through the processes and challenges of his practice. In this presentation Peter will describe his fascination with this simple yet dramatic technique and how he achieves the rich layering in his lino prints. You can buy your ticket for Print in Action Festival here.
Peter is inspired by printmakers Eric Ravilious and Siemen Dijkstra, and describes his process as “lino printing is the stupid magic of yes or no.” “My favourite tool is a narrow v-shaped lino that I bought in 2010 from an 80-year old lady in London who had seen my exhibition in Dorchester. It is perfect for creating vibrant textures in skies.”
Find out more about Print in Action Festival here, and follow Peter on Instagram @petrusursem and Facebook @peter.ursem.9.