UNSEEN SUFFOLK – LIBRARIES IN A YEAR, CONCERTINA BOOK
*WINNER OF THE SOCIETY OF BOOK BINDERS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, BOOK ARTS CATEGORY, 2022
*SHORTLISTED EXHIBITOR IN THE TRINITY BUOY WHARF DRAWING PRIZE, 2021
*LONGLISTED IN THE ASSOCIATION OF ILLUSTRATORS WORLD ILLUSTRATION AWARDS, 2021
*DIPLOMA AWARD, MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR IMAGE OF THE BOOK, 2021
Suffolk Libraries & BLOC (Building Libraries On Creativity) commission:
In August 2019 I was awarded a commission, by Melissa Matthews at BLOC Arts, to draw in Suffolk Libraries to capture unseen moments across Suffolk.
The plan was to go to one library each month for 12 months and that’s how I began. But in March 2020 Covid-19 came along and after a lockdown and Covid restrictions were introduced, we had to re-think the project. After lockdown was lifted, I had a short window of opportunity when I could finish the library drawing days in a Covid-safe way.
The project turned into the most fascinating observational drawing and historical documentation project. I was drawing what I saw as the world changed under a pandemic, and the impact that had on Suffolk libraries, library users, library staff…and me!
The images here are just some of the drawings and prints that I produced for the project.
We hoped to have an exhibition of my artworks at Ipswich Library, but due to further Covid-19 restrictions, the exhibition is now online as a virtual exhibition here.
You can also watch me talking about the Libraries in a Year project here.
