Hans Unger
Hans Unger produced designs whose colour and wit helped to form the 'scene' in London during the 1950s and 60s. Born in Prenzlau in East Germany in 1915, Unger was forced to leave Germany as a refugee from the Nazis to South Africa in 1936 – through a journey all too typical for the time he eventually settled in North London and became a long-time resident of Muswell Hill (just a stone's throw away from the Selvedge Office). It is only fitting that this centenary exhibition is on show at the Highgate Society.
Having made graphics for the Post Office, The Observer, BEA, the Bison Cement Company and Penguin Books. Unger is predominantly known for his graphic design skill and his iconic posters can still be seen in the London Transport Museum. His body of work, however, was much broader and also included mosaics and stained glass.
Along with the artist Eberhardt Schulze Unger developed a new stained-glass technique involving collages of coloured glass on clear panels, which were commissioned for churches and public buildings, including St Jude’s Church, Wigan, and the Pallottine Convent, Rochdale. He also produced mosaics for a number of sites, including the headquarters of Penguin books Ltd, Brasenose College, Oxford and the Royal Free Hospital.
The Centenary Exhibition, curated and assembled by Unger’s friends, will consist of a representative number of Hans Unger’s works, many owned privately, and will also include a digital display of examples of larger installed mosaics and stained glass works which are remote and cannot be moved, as well as a display of personal memorabilia (including photographs, biographical information and articles from the design and art media).
HANS UNGER CENTENARY EXHIBITION
10th - 25th October 2015
Call ahead for opening times on 0208 3416875