This May, Nelly Duff is excited to announce the debut edition from London-based artist (and force of nature) Stephen Anthony Davids.

Based on Davids’ signature original works carried out on his own extensive collection of Victorian ledger sheets, what better subject matter to adorn these age-stained financial records than our favourite financially driven (aren’t they all) gangster? A nine-layer hand pulled screen print, this new edition encapsulates the texture and depth of Davids’ original drawing, from the gloss of the oil stick to the satisfying patina of the aged paper through precise and cutting edge print technology.

‘Peaky Blinders’ embodies one of the foremost themes of Davids’ work, the exploration of history and context. Razor lined caps aside for the moment, this edition pierces the historical veil, and, like the eponymous drama series demands a suspension of disbelief. Combining a carefully reproduced 19th century Victorian ledger sheet with the blinder, a symbol of post WW1 and early 20th century industrialisation with Davids’ contemporary minimalist draughtsmanship doesn’t just remove the work from an discernible historical context, it turns the idea of context on its head. Meticulously recreated, the base layer of this hand pulled edition is a perfect replication of Davids’ own ledger sheet. Down to the browned edges and paper stains, the intricacy and dedication to reimagine Davids’ original work within the context of print imbues the edition with new life, and old.

With a main edition of 50 ‘Peaky Blinders’, we will also be releasing hand finished edition of only 15 prints, all adorned with unique touches and graphite by the artist.

Releasing in store and online May 18^th 11am exclusively at Nelly Duff.