the johnson tsang is very very very dope.

So excited about the tsang. I started following after the last edition, which I was not able to get. Hopeing for a better result this time around. His work is truly fantastic.

Looks functional

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNINDMnnmim

I’m really tempted by the Johnson Tsang sculpture. I like it!

Scored, thank you.

100E shipping though. It had better be delivered sitting upon a cushion made from Rapunzel's golden hair and definitely not by Herpes.

Woohoo! Scored! Super chuffed!

Haroshi 

http://instagram.com/p/CNkLppxlj9c

Marble Guzo's! I am sure everyone would be really excited for this one!
shop.avantarte.com/products/guzo-black-marble 
shop.avantarte.com/products/guzo-white-marble

Alake Shilling 

http://instagram.com/p/CMyPcfxF0Et

Probably one of the most exciting collabs for us this year with Alake Shilling! Please check out this video to see how special she is and find more info on our website. 

http://instagram.com/p/CNnEQvCpgaA

shop.avantarte.com/products/jolly-bear

Satoru Koizumi

http://instagram.com/p/CNKNRiQnNy2

Very exciting print by a great Japanese sculptor 
shop.avantarte.com/products/studio-2021

Finally, Donna Huanca, who has captured the art world’s attention with her mesmerising blend of performance and paint. ‘Spiral Para El Cielo’ is an edition of 50, with 20 hand-finished pieces available, and Donna will be donating her proceeds from the edition to various mutual aids benefiting QT/BIPOC creatives.

http://instagram.com/p/CMxBEg7nhRD

shop.avantarte.com/products/spiral-para-el-cielo-handfinished

For any info please email curtis@avantarte.com or sent us a message on our instagram: www.instagram.com/curtispenning/ 
www.instagram.com/christianluiten/

All the best, 

Christian 
 

wasn't a tang but yes got same for another order - legit...paid it and print arrived next day

This James Jean piece really is beautiful, what are people thinking. Expensive but stunning

http://instagram.com/p/CN-Rc55HzuG

We’re very excited to be launching our first collaboration with Ali Banisadr next Saturday. I’ve been having some really great conversations with collectors in the lead up to the launch, and thought I would share the story of how I met Ali and how the print we’re releasing was created!

When traveling was still possible, I always tried to do as many studio visits as I could. For me it’s really the most interesting place to see art. You can see what inspires the artist, the books, the moodboards, references and sketches. Also, just speaking to an artist is always the most interesting way to learn about their work. Over time, when traveling to big cities, it became a bit of a game: I would attempt as many studio visits as possible and my winning goal was to score one visit with a really big artist I hadn’t met before!

In October 2019 I was in NYC. I did some great studio visits with a number of artists we were already working with but I really wanted to see a new studio too — all part of the game. That week I had a visit planned with a big artist, but sadly it got cancelled. I remember seeing the cancellation email and thinking: right, only two days left in NYC, I have to score a visit with a big new artist.

I went on Instagram and I posted a work by Ali Banisadr. I sent him a DM. He replied and said to come by his studio tomorrow — score.

Ali is a really big artist, not necessarily the most well known but super respected in the art world, represented by big galleries like Ropac, Anton Kern and Victoria Miro, as well as collected by international institutions like the Metropolitan in New York, Pompidou in Paris and British Museum. His work also sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars on both primary and secondary sales — Ali hates it when I talk about money, sorry Ali!

Ali is a pure 'artist’s artist.' He makes art because he needs to. He needs to express himself and for him, painting is the way to do it. Even if he didn’t sell work, he’d make art everyday.

Ali’s got a really special way of painting inspired by synesthesia which is a sensory experience of perceiving sounds as visual forms. So Ali hears his paintings as much as he sees them. In each brush stroke there is a singular sound or note, and together, as they build and layer into a composition of many different harmonies and discords. And Ali’s not the first, apparently Kandinsky, Vincent Van Gogh and David Hockney all experienced the same sensory phenomenon too.

The studio visit was really special. We got on really well and had some nice connections through our love of hip hop, art and life in general. In the studio, you can see he is a perfectionist, everything is really ordered. All the books and the reference pieces suck you into his world, a world of classical art and storytelling that is boisterous and beautifully sensitive at the same time.

I asked Ali if, when he starts a painting, he knows what it will look like at the end. “No,” he said, “I just start painting and with every brush stroke I make I know if it is the right one or not.” He asked me what Avant Arte will look like ten years from now. I said the same thing, “we don't know but with every decision we create our future step by step.”

The studio visit was over six hours. A record time. We went to the city to check out the print art fair where Ali released a lithograph which, at the opening of the fair, sold immediately to a museum. We walked around and said to Ali that, if we were to collaborate, I’d love to do a screen print with him. He was not super familiar with screen printing, so, at the time, wasn’t a huge fan of the idea.

We kept in touch and I learned a lot from Ali about more historical, less contemporary art. All the artists we work with are contemporary and my Instagram is a bubble of contemporary work. Ali helped me get out of that bubble. He really loves art. He spent a lot of his days going to museums and he loves studying art history. He is very knowledgeable and has such great taste. Through him I learned more about artists like William Blake, Leonora Carrington, Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Altdorfer, Pieter Bruegel and many more.

Around April last year when everyone was in quarantine, I caught up with Ali and asked if he would like to meet some brilliant screen printers at Brand X Editions. He agreed and went down to the Brand X printing house. Going there and meeting the people changed his perception on what was possible with screen printing, and printing techniques in general.

I think what makes this upcoming edition really special is that it is a real collaboration between artist and master printer. They took a painting as an initial inspiration, but then created it into something totally new. I am just really proud and honoured to work with one of my favourite artists from whom I’ve learned so much. 

Thinkpol, our first print with Ali, launches next week on Saturday 8th May. You can see him talking about the edition and his artistic process in the video we made with him here:

More details here: shop.avantarte.com/products/thinkpol
Send Curtis an email on curtist@avantarte.com if you’re interested in the edition or have any questions!

Hey everyone,

Wanted to share an update (for those who aren’t subscribed to our newsletter!) on our just-launched collaboration with Felipe Pantone, which is now available to purchase.

Felipe is an incredible artist, with murals, exhibitions, fans and collectors all around the world, and we’re super excited to be working with him again in 2021.

http://instagram.com/p/CPSqEalngsU

The four lithograph editions belong to Felipe's SubtractiveVariability series, and are all perfect examples of his unique abstract language.

Editions of 30, €1,200 each, sized 100 x 70cm - links below.

shop.avantarte.com/products/subtractivevariability-p-1
shop.avantarte.com/products/copy-of-subtractivevariability-p-2
shop.avantarte.com/products/subtractivevariability-p-3
shop.avantarte.com/products/subtractivevariability-p-4

Please get in touch if you have any questions!

Have you thought of running a promotion where if a buyer spends a minimum of €20k in a calender year, they will be given the opportunity of purchasing a framed Calleja edition?

no it didn't

Hey everyone, checking in with some updates for June!

First up, as I’m sure you know we’re launching our second collaboration with Javier Calleja on Wednesday - three hand-finished print editions.

http://instagr.am/p/CPqEIFkHnz5

Sign-ups are now closed, but I thought you might be interested to listen to a podcast I recorded with Javier last week. Link below if so!

avantarte.com/story/in-conversation-javier-calleja/

Next, a couple of upcoming editions we’re really excited about from Aya Takano and Amani Lewis. Follow the links to find out more and sign up for launch updates.

http://instagram.com/p/CP0EUuAt3x0

Aya Takano is an incredible Japanese painter, a member of Kaikai Kiki. Our first collaboration ‘We, human race made this structure’ is a print edition of 100 based on one of her digital drawings.
shop.avantarte.com/products/we-human-race-made-this-structure

We’ve also very excited to launch our second collaboration with Amani Lewis this month. Amazing textured screenprint layers on this edition — definitely one that needs to be seen in person!
shop.avantarte.com/products/two-queens-ode-to-romare-bearden

And finally, a few upcoming announcements to keep an eye out for - Michael Kagan and Lina Iris Viktor. You can register your interest on their artist pages:
avantarte.com/artists/michael-kagan/
avantarte.com/artists/lina-iris-viktor/

Any questions, please get in touch. Have a good week! 
For interested you can email: collecting@avantarte.com 

Thanks,
Christian