Books / Poetry
Art, animals and haikus
Bristol’s urban animals have been brought to life in haikus by a writer who has also teamed up with 10 artists to illustrate each three-line poem.
Emily Koch is showing the work as part of an exhibition called Feathers & Fur at the Grain Barge in September and later in the Tobacco Factory snug.
“Us humans share Bristol with many other living beings, and I wanted to celebrate them,” says Emily, an author and journalist whose debut novel will be published by Penguin Random House imprint Harvill Secker in 2018.
“Whenever you leave the house, you can be sure to see someone walking their dog, or a bird of some kind, or a fox hunting for its next meal in your bins. They all enrich our daily lives.
“Haikus are the perfect kind of poem to catch a fleeting moment in the world we live in. Each one of these poems captures the character of a different animal.”
Bristol artist Dave Bain helped to match the words to artists Amy Timms, Lindsay McDonagh, Laurie Stansfield, Rosanna Tasker, Harriet Lee Merrion, Dawn Cooper, Sarah Dennis, Bett Norris, Anna Higgie and Dave himself.
“I’ve loved watching the development of the illustrations inspired by my words,” Emily adds.
“They are beautiful, full of life and at times also very funny. This exhibition is a showcase for the amazing artistic talent this city has to offer.”
Prints of the exhibited artwork will be available to buy at Feathers & Fur in the Grain Barge from September 1 to October 11, and then in the snug at the Tobacco Factory from November 3 to December 29.