Fiona Hawthorne - Blacksmith Books

Fiona Hawthorne was born in Belfast but left aged six when her family moved to Hong Kong, where she was immediately inspired by the irresistible energy and bustle of the vibrant cityscape around her. She developed a passion for using strong colour and fluid economic line, and after finishing her degree at Chelsea School of Art, she illustrated for clients from Time Out to Tag Heuer to Tatler.

Hawthorne’s ability to paint and sketch in any location led to commissions to capture London’s emerging jazz scene and action on film sets, then to a series of celebrated public art commissions. She was the first artist in residence to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and her portrait of Barack Obama hangs in the Library of Congress. In 2016 she was awarded the International Arts Advocacy Award by WIFTS (Women in Film and Television).

www.fionahawthorne.com

Drawing on the Inside: Kowloon Walled City 1985

HK$288.00
USD: US$36.87
CNY: CN¥266.98
GBP: £28.87
EUR: €33.94
AUD: AU$55.42
CAD: CA$50.29
JPY: ¥5,794
Curated by Benjamin Salmon

Imagine an illegally built mini-city formed of multiple 12-storey blocks, taking up only the area of a sports stadium but home to 60,000 people. What was it like living in the most densely populated place on Earth?

Intrepid 22-year-old artist Fiona Hawthorne spent three months inside the notorious Walled City of Kowloon, an apparent no-go area right in the heart of bustling Hong Kong. This book reveals the sensitive and extraordinary artworks she created there. It is a unique record of a time and place that no longer exists.

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The Extraordinary Amazing Incredible Unbelievable Walled City of Kowloon

HK$100.00
USD: US$12.80
CNY: CN¥92.70
GBP: £10.02
EUR: €11.78
AUD: AU$19.24
CAD: CA$17.46
JPY: ¥2,012
Imagine living in a high-rise mini-city that people built with their own hands. This city took up only the size of a sports stadium, but it was home to sixty thousand people! What would it be like to live in the most tightly packed place on Earth? Fiona wanted to find out, so she went there to paint, draw and meet the people of the amazing Kowloon Walled City. There was nowhere else in the world like it. The extraordinary things she discovered are inside this book… Based on Fiona Hawthorne's real-life experiences in the famous Walled City of Kowloon, this is a children's book which is also for adults. A young female artist ventures into a place that everyone tells her is dangerous, but she spends time getting to know the people, and draws and paints their everyday lives. By doing so, she discovers the truth: that the Kowloon Walled City was industrious, child-friendly and welcoming. Even though the Walled City was very much Hong Kong, this story of discovery and acceptance is universal. Vibrant, colourful, detailed artwork depicts the busy life of a unique community that no longer exists.

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