‘Tokyo Papers’ comprises a collection of 41 monoprints created by Dutch graphic designer and typographer Karel Martens between 2019 and 2020. In 2018, Martens received a package from artist-curator Pierre Leguillon that contained filled-in Japanese forms which he had found at a street market in Tokyo. Martens was intrigued by the collection of thin paper with a rectangular black-blue layer of carbon on the back. In 2019 he started to print on these back sides, but because the overprinting on the carbon layer caused unwanted damage, he switched to printing them on the front sides as well. “The closing image is related to Tokyo in a different way,” he explains.

Artist book with text drawings by Marc Nagtzaam, made between 1992 and 2019. Complementary to the writings, 24 artists contributions are inserted throughout the book. With contributions by Mark Manders, Louis Lüthi, Sue Tompkins, Stephan Keppel, Steve Van den Bosch, Nickel van Duijvenboden, Sophie Nys, Pierre Leguillon, Batia Suter, Experimental Jetset, Na Kim, Tim Hollander, Lily van der Stokker, Karin Herwegh, Karel Martens, Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt, Kasper Andreasen, Jochen Lempert, gerlach en koop, Henri Jacobs, Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Marijn van Kreij, and Willem Oorebeek.

As a continuation of the first Roma publication, SOME, dating from 1998, this book marks the 20+ years anniversary of Roma Publications. Designed by Marc Nagtzaam and Roger Willems. In an edition of 400, signed and numbered

Produced on the occasion of Motion, a major exhibition by Dutch artist, graphic designer, and educator Karel Martens at Kunstverein München. Co-edited by Martens and Julie Peeters, the bulk of the content for this book comes from the video Not for Resale—a sequence of photographs from Martens’ studio wall in Hoog Keppel in 2000. The videos Lost & Found (2004), and Tol (2008) are also included in the book, as well as a transcription of a conversation between Martens and Kunstverein director Chris Fitzpatrick.

Designed by Julie Peeters.

Poster/invitation produced on the occasion of KAREL MARTENS OASE/, 6–21 April, 2011, Faculty Gallery, Monash University, Melbourne. Curated by Warren Taylor.

The exhibition focused on Martens contribution to the graphic style of OASE, Journal for Architecture. From 1990 (Issue 28) Martens took over the art direction of the journal, often working with students from the Werkplaats Typografie—an experimental typography school he founded in 1998 with Wigger Bierma. What began as a student magazine, evolved into an international professional journal in which a reflective and critical approach to architecture, urban design and landscape architecture is the mainstay. Recently celebrating its 75th issue, the success of OASE is, in part, due to Martens refined graphic statement, often absorbing his print and typographic experiments and upholding the dialogue between graphic design and architecture.

More information on the exhibition can be found here.