On Thursday 27th July 2017 I gave a presentation to over thirty artists and creatives in Chongqing, China. The venue was Testbed 2, a converted factory which now houses creative businesses. I showcased three years worth of illustrations based on my home town, Sheringham. The reaction was incredible. The audience were amazed and intrigued by Sheringham’s carnival, the Viking festival and the Lobster Potty weekend.
I gave a thirty minute presentation which was followed by an hour of enthusiastic questions. The main comment of the evening was that my love for my home town was palpable and this emotion is abundantly clear in my artwork. Fellow artists, Alex (the owner of Testbed 2); Jizong, a talented oil painter and Songkang, a fellow illustrator, said how refreshing it was to see an original artist and true creative in an industry where there is so much imitation and replication of other artists’ styles.
My sincere thanks to Yishi Fu and Bruno PR, Anna and team, for organising the event. Special thanks to Yishi and to Dora for being incredible translators on the night.
I must also thank Myke Joyce and Cate Tooke, a Sheringham-based folk duo, for supplying local music. The songs are: ‘This is my friend’ (written and performed by Myke Joyce, produced by Ervin Munir), ‘Billy Boy’ (written by Steve Jackson and performed by Myke Joyce and Cath Tooke). Ervin Munir has written, performed and produced ‘The Return’ and ‘Fall Apart’.
The Album ‘Chilled Lobster 01’ was released in 2015 by Rock the Lobster, who run an open mic evening twice a month in Sheringham. The album and tracks are available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. Visit http://www.rockthelobster.com for more information.
Read more about the presentation here: A presentation in China part 2
The University of Brighton press release about my visit, read more.
Natalie Knowles 