Artists and creatives of all ilk flocked to the 14th edition of the Sharjah Children’s
Reading Festival as it offered a host of creative works and impressive displays. Among
the talented exhibitors was Keira Rathbone, a London-based artist renowned for her
remarkable typewriter art.
Rathbone utilises an ancient manual typewriter that she discovered in a charity store to
create intricate drawings by arranging letters, numbers, and symbols, rather than using
traditional paint or brush strokes. When the typewritten characters are placed closely
together, the resulting artwork appears like pen-and-ink drawings from a distance, with
the typewritten characters becoming visible to the viewer when observed up close. Her
portfolio includes cityscapes and skylines, street views, portraits, including those of
celebrities, nature, and even typewriters themselves, the very tool she employs.
During the Sharjah festival, Rathbone exhibited her works, which included depictions of
the Burj Khalifa, Dubai skyline views, and the Al Wasl Dome in Expo City. Her rendition
of the world’s tallest tower required ten hours to complete. “I use an old manual
typewriter, using the characters and visualising them as shapes and textures. When I’m
studying a subject, I plan which characters to use. For example, for drawing an eye, I
use brackets, underscores, and hyphens,” the artist explained.
“Typewriter art allows me another way of expression, of freedom from words, while
using letters at the same time, when I first started seeing them as shapes and textures
20 years ago. The limitations of using this form of art also helped me push against it.”
The artist, who conducted live art demonstrations at the festival, noted that her creative
process is highly spontaneous. “I just go with the flow. If it’s a street scene, for instance,
I’ll find the angle, sit down in the street on a chair and start typing the buildings. Then I
look for the transient elements; the people, vehicles, anything that’s entering the scene,
the changing lights and shadows, the clouds etc,” she said.
The most complex piece she has created is a myriad of wrist-watch mechanics in an
exploded view, with every individual part presented in its intricate beauty. “Portraits can
also be quite challenging to get right, but I also feel that it doesn’t need to be as perfect
as a photo.
“At the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, I’ve been capturing the general scenes, the
people and a collection of moments in one-hour sessions, and it’s been quite a novel
experience,” Rathbone revealed.