To get his art to Germany, Peter Lapsley has used a rather unusual route — the one that Christopher Columbus took across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492.This month, Mr Lapsley’s work is on show at the Wentrup Gallery in Berlin, Germany, as part of the Traces of Life exhibition. The group exhibition features a range of works from international artists, all of whom are reflecting on visible and invisible traces of life in their work.Mr Lapsley’s piece entitled Maiden Voyage is a gold Mylar and steel sculpture that traces the voyage of Christopher Columbus from Spain to the Bahamas. Voyages such as this are of particular interest to Mr Lapsley who has traced the journeys of his ancestors and his own explorations from Bermuda to Australia, the United States and Canada.“I have been using the patterns of these various routes to create artwork,” he said. “History and anthropology has always fascinated me. We, as a species, carve out these paths as we spread ourselves across the globe. As an actual physical trace I think they (the routes) are fascinating.”He said the route that Columbus followed across the Atlantic in 1492 was largely accidental and driven by nature, especially as he was trying to find a new route to Asia.“His course was quite steady until he got close to the Caribbean then he was back and forth, in and out of the islands down there,” Mr Lapsley said. “Initially, he was trying to get to Japan. (As this would better orient him towards India). Then he ended up in the Bahamas. The route starts off very steadily and then crosses over his return path and then bounces off in the Caribbean and then comes back up on the return. For that one, that initial foray it is an interesting one.”Mr Lapsley said he was honoured to be included in the exhibition with other prominent artists and to represent Bermuda in an international art scene — especially in Berlin, which is such a mecca for the arts.“Berlin was very exciting,” he said. “It was one of the most exciting exhibitions I have been in. I have been in talks with the curator there for a year and a half. He came to New York and gave my studio a visit.”He said one of the benefits of working out of New York is that people in the art world are always coming through. The curator of the Traces of Life exhibition at the Wentrup heard about Mr Lapsley’s work through a friend of Mr Lapsley.“At the moment I am concentrating on my showing career and getting as many exhibitions as possible,” he said. “Eventually, it will be more easy to work in Bermuda and go back and forth. In New York, I have access to a huge volume of other people’s work, and museums and so forth.”Germany isn’t the end to Mr Lapsley’s forays into Europe this year. Mr Lapsley will have eight pieces shown with Victori Contemporary at Scope Basel, in Basel, Switzerland from June 10 to 16. Other upcoming shows include group shows in Brooklyn, New York and Istanbul, Turkey.He was Director of the Bermuda Society of Arts (BSOA) for five years but moved to New York to study for his master’s degree in Fine Arts at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City. He decided to remain in New York after graduation.“I am trying to make a name for myself,” he said, “but these things take time. You build on the successes of your career. I think everyone has a very romantic vision of how quickly things happen. Like anything else it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance.”For more information about Mr Lapsley’s work see www.peterlapsley.com. For information about the Scope show in Switzerland see scope-art.com/shows/basel-2013.