Tank Girl, Gorillaz and Bafta awards: Taschen release Jamie Hewlett's first major monograph

The instantly recognisable illustration work of Jamie Hewlett is to be celebrated in his first major monograph by Taschen, titled Inside the Mind of Jamie Hewlett. 

Showcasing works from throughout the artist’s career, mainly being illustration and animation, the publication will contain over 400 of Jamie’s artworks. Beginning with his early comic book work Tank Girl, the monograph spans to his globally recognised work for Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz, his Chinese contemporary opera performance of Monkey: Journey to the West, and more recent pieces from his 2015 show, The Suggestionists at Saatchi Gallery. Other career highlights from the artist include being named Designer of the Year by London’s Design Museum in 2006, and winning a BAFTA with Damon Albarn for their animated Monkey sequence at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2009. 

“It’s about reaching that moment of pure ecstasy when a drawing just happens – it’s like being in a trance,” says the artist on his practice. “Drawing is an escape from all the unnecessary things in life that get in the way of being free."

Jamie has carved his niche with a coherent and signature illustration style, confirming him as “one of the most energetic figures of contemporary pop culture,” says the publishers. “Through stories, characters, strips, and sketches, we trace Hewlett’s exceptional capacity for invention and celebrate a polymath artist who refuses to rest on his laurels, or be pigeonholed into a particular practice.”