This year it seems that a good few artists I know and have championed in the past have decided it’s time they published their works in their own monograph books…
Consequently I’ve had a few requests from artists to contribute texts – based on my previous experience and appreciation of their work. Finally a number of these books are finally in print and have begun arriving in the post…

First up is this handsome volume for Bue the Warrior…
I first came across Bue’s work when I travelled to Belgium as part of my research for the Street Sketchbook book. Belgium has a particularly vibrant scene often influenced by the strong Bande dessinée culture and in the end Street Sketchbook featured Belgian artists heavily.

Bue the Warrior published by Lanoo is a beautiful object – I was lucky enough to receive the limited edition version which came with a screen print and overall the design of the book (by graphic designer Janine Kopatz) is beautiful …. It features plush pattern details on the front and die-cut tabs on the inside body pages – tasty!

Bue has always been a great traveller – taking his characterful street art to many corners of the world and particularly Mexico which he has a real affinity for and where he also has a big following. The book has Spanish texts to accommodate his following…

For that reason I gave my text a Mexican flavour – titling the piece The Piñata Maker – or El Pinatero… Bue’s next projects include setting up a waffle shop in Mexico City so the Mexican connection continues…

To mark the occasion of the book release in typical Bue style he held a fun-filled (kid friendly) party to celebrate… Check out the photos here…