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Peter Burke: Flights at Andipa Gallery

This summer, Andipa presents Flights, a new body of work by acclaimed British sculptor Peter Burke exploring the staircase as a symbol of movement, transition and the journeys we take.

Bringing together 27 sculptures, drawings and collages, the exhibition transforms this familiar architectural structure into something contemplative and quietly psychological. Throughout the collection, staircases appear as pathways between one place and another, suggesting ascent, uncertainty and the possibility of unexplored directions.
At the heart of the exhibition are eight sculptures created from steel and gold leaf. The solidity of their industrial frameworks sits in striking contrast to the delicacy of the gilded surfaces, creating a subtle tension between strength and fragility.

Alongside the sculptures, Burke’s detailed study drawings offer a more intimate examination of the staircase through line, depth and tone. His warm hued Folly collages introduce another dimension, with their stacked forms resembling precarious architectural arrangements that appear to balance between construction and collapse.

A fascinating insight into the artist's process

This combination of sculpture, drawing and collage provides a fascinating insight into Burke’s creative process, while reflecting his wider interest in the emotional and symbolic possibilities of industrial materials. Originally trained as a jig and tool designer with Rolls Royce, Burke brings an engineer’s understanding of structure and precision to his artistic practice. Working primarily with cast iron and fabricated steel, his work bridges the traditions of figurative sculpture with the materials and processes of the modern industrial age.

Spanning a career of six decades, Burke has developed a distinctive visual language that considers humanity’s relationship with technology, labour and the built environment. As the artist explains, “I work intuitively, but when finished and viewed in retrospect the works seem almost outside of myself, and I regard them with curiosity.”
Flights coincides with Burke’s exhibition Folly at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol and arrives during a summer in which sculpture is taking centre stage at galleries and institutions across the world.
Visit the exhibition

Peter Burke: Flights Until Saturday 15 August 2026  Andipa 162 Walton Street , Brompton Cross, London SW3 2JL

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