Peter Lewis is a paper collage artist based in New Zealand. He has been mutating, mutilating and reconfiguring popular culture and its images since 1990. Deftly slicing with his scalpel, he seeks to shock the viewer's eye out of its complacency with surreal juxtaposition and silly humour. His influences and inspirations include Winston Smith, Max Ernst, Mark Ryden and Robert Williams.

He intentionally uses nostalgic images and pictures taken from old children's books, not only because they appeal to his keen sense of personal nostalgia and revisiting the obsessions of his childhood (robots, monsters, rocketships, dinosaurs), but also because the visual language of childhood evokes memories of a time when magic was everywhere and you either hadn't heard of the 'accepted view of the world' with all its rules and limitations, or you were unwilling to accept it and preferred to make up your own, seeing mystery and intrigue everywhere.

The magic still exists, you just have to learn to turn the filters off, to really open your eyes and absorb the beauty of everything around you.

Peter's work has been featured on CD covers in New Zealand and the US, in San Francisco art magazine Churn, and recently in New York art and fashion magazine Fifth Avenue. He has exhibited pieces throughout New Zealand, in Germany, and briefly and unauthorised-edly at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York. A selection of Peter’s work has been in the book "MASTERS: COLLAGE" published by US art publisher Lark Books.

In January 2010, Peter was profiled by NZ arts show 'The Gravy' for their episode entitled "Time travel / Future Worlds ". You can watch the clip here.

After many years of working exclusively on paper, he began collaging directly onto canvas, using mixed media colour wash backgrounds. These works have proved very popular and many have been sold. Check the Gallery page to see what's currently for sale.

Reviews	Interviews
'Postcard From Cutesville' show - Otago Daily Times, 1 June 2006 'Scalpelicious' show - Victoria University Salient magazine, 11 September 2006 'Scalpelicious' show - Capital Times, 31 August 2006 'Scalpelicious' show - The Star, 31 August 2006 'The Best Of Both Worlds' show - Otago Daily Times, 18 March 2004 'The Best Of Both Worlds' show - Otago University Critic magazine, 22 March 2004	Phantasmaphile, March 2006 The Extra Finger, 19 July 2006 Radio One, Dunedin NZ, 23 May 2006 (mp3 file, 1.9MB)

Exhibition History

SOLO SHOWS 'Untitled' - Design Withdrawals, Palmerston NZ, September 2008 'Untitled' - Vent Creative Outlet, Port Chalmers NZ, October 2006 'Scalpelicious' - ROAR! Gallery, Wellington NZ, September 2006 'Postcard From Cutesville' - Cleveland Living Arts Centre, Dunedin NZ, May / June 2006 'The Best of Both Worlds' - Introspect Gallery, Dunedin NZ, March 2004 Tangente Cafe, Dunedin NZ, April 2005 The Strip Gallery, Dunedin NZ, December 2004 Dunedin City Council Offices, Dunedin NZ, December 2004 Tanya Carlson Designer Waiting Room, Dunedin NZ, October - November 2004 Percolator Cafe, Dunedin NZ, May - June 2004

GROUP SHOWS New Zealand Art Show, Wellington NZ, August 2010 The Original Art Show, Auckland NZ, July 2006 Affordable Art Show, Wellington NZ, July 2005 'Comix et al' - Cleveland Living Arts Centre, Dunedin NZ, July 2005 The Original Art Show, Auckland NZ, July 2005 Affordable Art Show, Wellington NZ, July 2004 Various monthly shows, Arc Cafe, Dunedin NZ, 2003 - 2004