Nicolas Burrows is an artist, illustrator, musician and member of Nous Vous, the close-knit art collective based in London. Usually he spends his time creating collages and drawings, skilfully comprised of various printmaking and assemblage techniques. Using bright, positive swaths of colour and super satisfyingly balanced semi-abstract compositions, Nicolas’ latest project has taken form in a brand new children’s book.
Close your eyes and imagine a hotel. Now, imagine that this hotel is specifically made to house elephants. Oh, and the hotel is owned and operated by elephants too. We’re fantasising about elephant-sized beds and room service for elephants, elephant bus boys and bars that serve only peanuts. Ok. We’re going to stop there and leave left the rest of the dreaming to Nicolas.
The book came about by a partnership between the East London Comic Arts Festival and WeTransfer. They created a grant allowing for an unpublished book to be materialised, inviting creatives to submit their proposals. Nicolas’ book won the grant, and by strike of funny and unusual luck, was actually at the hospital meeting his first born child for the first time on the evening of the announcement. Pretty cute coincidence for the author and illustrator of an amazing children’s book.
Using his trusty collage techniques and inspired by the design of old hotel brochures from the 20’s and 30’s, Nicolas’ book makes for an incredibly original and bonkers story for children. See more of Nicolas talking about the book below. Beware: this video contains the ripping, shredding of paper and pushing around of paint, which makes for some fabulously inspiring process porn.
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