Camden Market

Since 1974, Camden Market has been the most popular open-air market in London, showcasing handmade arts and crafts. It is a very eccentric district and is also known as the birthplace of Rock and Britpop artists. Many music legends such as Sex Pistols, Jimi Hendrix, The Stone Roses, and Amy Winehouse had started their carrier and made their marks in this place. Prince (a.k.a. ‘The Artist’) started his own purple painted shop in Chalk Farm Road.

In 1988, I used to live in London and visited Camden Town on every other weekends to buy vintage street signs and biscuit tins. I remembered the alleys, the market, and the street musicians. What inspired me the most from this place was the street artists selling hand-lettering and pen-ink sketches. In fact, it was the year when I started to take my first art studio class in pen and ink. From Camden, I knew that I love typography, that I am crazy about sketching and that one day I will open my own painted shop.

I would like to relive this memory by creating Tulisan’s version of ‘Camden Market’. Please come and share this reminiscence of 1988 with me at Grand Indonesia, Sky Bridge, Floor 3A, on 11-17 February 2013. I will have a limited number of blank cards with my very first pen & ink sketches that were created when I was fifteen.

Triple kisses,

Melissa

P.S.: Here are some photos of London that I took during those days!