David Bowie Is...

Like most people, I was shocked to wake up this morning and hear the news about David Bowie's passing. The only album of his I actually own is the 2002 greatest hits compilation, Best of Bowie and I never made it along to the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A a few years ago. But I enjoyed his music, and the movie Labyrinth, and that time he played Nikola Tesla. And the stars look very different today....

And for someone that started making music in the 1960's, he was still so culturally prevalent, a fact that was reinforced by the solid wall of David Bowie tributes that quickly made up my Facebook news feed this morning. And just yesterday while I was sorting through the work on my computer, I found a couple of Bowie drawings I'd done in previous years...

First, a piece I did for an art show in East London by the band Emperor Yes, for the release of their single Cosmos. I drew an illustration of the band surrounded by various space-themed pop culture characters, including (of course!) a cameo from the Starman himself!



The other was a card I made for my friend Nanae, who as well as being a fan of David Bowie shares the same birthday as him (8 January), and has a pet poodle...

The End Of The World Art Show

I was asked by the band Emperor Yes to take part in an art show they were putting on to coincide with the release of their new single The End Of The World. All of the work in the show was based on the band's song.

Here's my piece for the show...



I actually took a while to come up with an idea for what to do. I had a few different ideas that didn't quite work out and then last week I was working in my part-time job at the National Gallery, in Room 44, looking at George Seurat's Bathers at Asnières, when I suddenly had an epiphany! Looking at that painting, the composition just formed in my mind for my piece for the show. After struggling with what to do for a while, it was amazing that the idea could just come together in an instant!



Afterwards, I hurriedly scribbled down a (very!) rough sketch of my idea, and then later drew up the final piece, pretty much exactly as I'd imagined it!



The End Of The World Art Show will be on at Lo and Behold gallery, 2B Swanfield St, London E2 7DS until the 9 March.

Emperor Yes LIVE

Emperor Yes are playing two special Carl Sagan-themed shows this week at the Bloomsbury Theatre and the Hammersmith Apollo and asked me to draw a picture they could use online to promote the shows...

Emperor Yes Presents: COSMOS

I recently took part in the gallery show Emperor Yes Presents "COSMOS", put together by the band Emperor Yes and all the
work based around their new single, Cosmos.


Click on image to enlarge

The opening night for the show was very busy, with lots
of people making it along despite the cold weather...

Image © Ayano Fukuoka


Image © Ayano Fukuoka