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Spring Artist Series with King Owusu
‘I spent lockdown with my brother in Hoxton because my mother who turned 70 this year was at risk from Covid’ says King Owusu the model, poet and illustrator. Owusu, who is in the final year of a degree in graphic design at Central Saint Martins, drew inspiration from his mother and the Greek legend of Persephone to create a ceramic sculpture and poem for the Jo Malone London Spring Artist Series. ‘When I was away, I thought about her a lot, and it inspired me to write a poem and create art about the idea of growing up,’ he says.
In Greek mythology, Persephone is the spring goddess and queen of the underworld, who like nature shoots forth in the spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest. ‘It’s about how we move in between seasons,’ explains Owusu. ‘And understanding that the nature of the world is that I grow up and find my own way, but at the same time I’m cherishing these moments that I still have with my mum.’
In the recording of the poem, the sound of pouring rain, birdsong and a simple piano motif serve as the backdrop, as Owusu recites lines such as, ‘You are the beginning, a gift to me. The call from nature to shake off winter’s freeze,’ which speaks to the idea of change and new life blooming. The sounds of nature were recorded during spring walks with his mother when the pair reunited. ‘My mum and I would walk up the hill to Alexandra Palace and take in all the sounds,’ says Owusu. ‘I think the rain is such an important characteristic of spring. It represents growth, hope and opportunity.’
“‘I think the rain is such an important characteristic of spring. It represents growth, hope and opportunity.’”
King Owusu, Artist
