"I'm fascinated with the storytelling, the movement, and costumes of traditional folk dances," says London-based illustrator June Sees (AKA June Chanpoomidole), who has turned this fascination into an ongoing project to make images of global dance styles.
The World Dance series has so far taken in tap dancer Ginger Rogers, spiritual and ceremonial dance and "the sassy samba," with a selection printed onto postcards. What makes it so striking is the distillation of movement and energy into a static 2D image. Working in the vibrant brushstrokes of Gouache or the expressive mark-making offered by coloured pencils, Chanpoomidole manages to weave a gloriously kinetic sense of celebration into her creations.
Perhaps this energy can be attributed to her process, often drawing dancers live at events such the Southbank Centre's Darbar festival. Her love of dance is a long-held one: "It stemmed from Thai dancing when I was six years old–we had elaborate and ornate costumes, headdresses, and long golden fingernails," she says. "Dance is a universal language, a beautiful one to watch."
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