The University of Nottingham's Taiwan Studies Programme presents an Virtual Art Exhibition by artist Tom Rook

Interviews and clips of Tom Rook can be watched here.

 Drawing cities across time: The shaping of Nottingham and Taipei

These drawings cover a journey from Nottingham to Taipei and around Taiwan. They each show the multiple layers of urbanization that have created some very different cities. Some of the drawings are a window back in time to important periods and moments in history. This exhibition and webinar will explore the impact of different eras and regimes in shaping two cities on opposite sides of the world: Taipei and Nottingham.

Speaker biography

Currently living in Taipei, Tom Rook was born in Exmouth, England. His interests in architecture, the natural world, and urban history come together in meticulous pen and pencil drawings. From a very young age he has been fascinated by urban landscapes. With a more visually oriented memory his drawings of cities serve as a type of journal; a reminder of the experiences he's had in each place. They're also part of a process through which he explores each location in depth and understands the world around him.

He frequently explores the history and changes written upon a city and recreates detailed views of places in different eras. Viewers often use his drawings to re-call their own stories and memories of a locale and he enjoys the sense of connection and new knowledge this brings. Tom also spends a lot of time innature and drawings of insects form a large part of his work. As cities across the world expand into their edgelands, the biodiversity of the insect world often suffers. His drawings capture this intersection between nature and the urbanizing world.

Talk Reflection By Minal Gadher, BA Economics and Politics, University of Nottingham

The Drawing cities across time webinar exhibition by Tom Rook offered some amazing insight into the ways in which the architecture of both Taipei and Nottingham have changed over time. By referencing historical events and political implications, Tom used his art to articulate links between this and the cities’ physical appearance. In addition, it was great to see such a creative and artistic demonstration of this topic – this made it very enjoyable and easy for viewers to visualise the points made by the artist. A lot of credit must be given to our speaker, Tom Rook, for his amazing presentation skills and his enthusiastic engagement with viewers through the Q&A session at the end of the event. It was clear from the discussion that those who attended the event were extremely impressed and inspired by Tom’s work and I look forward to exploring more of his art in the future.

Interviews and clips of Tom Rook can be watched here.