Fiona Kain
Alice in Wonderland
For the past three years, Singapore-based Australian artist Fiona Kain has been working on her version of Alice in Wonderland. Illustrating and designing the typography for the Lewis Carroll classic, she has reinterpreted the book with a monochromatic feel.
WeAreAWebsite: Which version of Alice did you grow up with?
Fiona Kain: As a young child, my earliest introduction to Alice was through the animated 1951 Walt Disney movie: the vivid images of Alice falling down the rabbit hole, the always late white rabbit, the disappearing Cheshire cat, the talking flowers and the queen playing croquet with a flamingo as a bat and porcupine as a ball. Later, as a young art student in Melbourne, I was introduced to the Australian artist, Charles Blackman, and his 1950s series of paintings of Alice in Wonderland. I love the rich surreal way in which they were painted and his personal take on the story.
Why did you start working on Alice in Wonderland?
Having never read the book as a child, I started to read the book to my own daughter. Within a few pages, she was totally confused. But I was thoroughly fascinated by the story. That reading opened my eyes to the amazing imagery that lifted off the pages, so I finished the book on my own. I have been hooked on all things ‘Alice’ ever since.
I have been working on the book, on and off, for the past three years. It’s had many revisions and I'm constantly tinkering to get the right look, paintings and typography. I put the book down for several weeks and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Even now, when I am really happy with where it is at, I can see more images and ideas to add. I really need a deadline!
Which are some of your favourite editions of Alice?
I have so many favourites, but I think a must for the true Alice lover would be Alice’s Adventures Underground, a Facsimile published by The British Library. It features the original manuscript given to Alice Lindell as a Christmas present on Nov 26, 1864, which was handwritten and illustrated by Charles Dodgson (aka Carroll).
My other choices are quite eclectic: the noir tones of Ralph Steadman; Yayoi Kusama’s colourful and ‘spotty’ illustrated book; Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew’s Wonderland, a whimsical and wonderfully illustrated graphic novel from the perspective of ‘Mary Ann’, whom Alice was mistaken for by the White Rabbit. And if you’re a lover of the pop-up book, which is a craft unto itself, Robert Sabuda and Jotto Seibold’s creation is an amazingly complex work of art, which seamlessly tells the story with minimal text.
Fiona Kain: As a young child, my earliest introduction to Alice was through the animated 1951 Walt Disney movie: the vivid images of Alice falling down the rabbit hole, the always late white rabbit, the disappearing Cheshire cat, the talking flowers and the queen playing croquet with a flamingo as a bat and porcupine as a ball. Later, as a young art student in Melbourne, I was introduced to the Australian artist, Charles Blackman, and his 1950s series of paintings of Alice in Wonderland. I love the rich surreal way in which they were painted and his personal take on the story.
Why did you start working on Alice in Wonderland?
Having never read the book as a child, I started to read the book to my own daughter. Within a few pages, she was totally confused. But I was thoroughly fascinated by the story. That reading opened my eyes to the amazing imagery that lifted off the pages, so I finished the book on my own. I have been hooked on all things ‘Alice’ ever since.
I have been working on the book, on and off, for the past three years. It’s had many revisions and I'm constantly tinkering to get the right look, paintings and typography. I put the book down for several weeks and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Even now, when I am really happy with where it is at, I can see more images and ideas to add. I really need a deadline!
Which are some of your favourite editions of Alice?
I have so many favourites, but I think a must for the true Alice lover would be Alice’s Adventures Underground, a Facsimile published by The British Library. It features the original manuscript given to Alice Lindell as a Christmas present on Nov 26, 1864, which was handwritten and illustrated by Charles Dodgson (aka Carroll).
My other choices are quite eclectic: the noir tones of Ralph Steadman; Yayoi Kusama’s colourful and ‘spotty’ illustrated book; Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew’s Wonderland, a whimsical and wonderfully illustrated graphic novel from the perspective of ‘Mary Ann’, whom Alice was mistaken for by the White Rabbit. And if you’re a lover of the pop-up book, which is a craft unto itself, Robert Sabuda and Jotto Seibold’s creation is an amazingly complex work of art, which seamlessly tells the story with minimal text.
It's the 150th anniversary of Alice, and at least 90 editions have been published around the world this year. How does one stand out in a sea of Alice interpretations?
As an avid collector of Alice books myself, I have about 80 versions and, now that you mention it, it seems another 90 more to add to the collection!
I don’t think it’s necessarily a case of trying to stand out, but rather to add to the rich collective of Alice interpretations. All versions of the story come about through a common love for this rich, dreamy tale. Every artist has his or her own way of visually interpreting the book. But if I were to pinpoint what I think I have done differently, it would be the graphic style I have adapted, not only through the imagery but also the typography. The monochromatic palette I have used throughout the book strips away the rich tapestry of colour you would normally expect from an Alice book and takes each back to a single image or theme to compliment the story. The simplicity of this approach focuses on the narrative. The occasional pop of colour (orange is favoured) adds interest and contrast. The typography, in both form and structure, is dynamic and expressive, creating a graphic effect to complement the illustrations.
What makes Alice so appealing through the ages?
The way the story is written is timeless: Alice’s journey through Wonderland could have just as easily have happened 150 years ago as it could have today. Carroll takes us on a visual journey with his words, with each chapter drawing the reader to a new place or situation, be it falling down the rabbit hole, talking to a Cheshire cat, a mock turtle or a caterpillar. Alice continually keeps herself in check despite the bizarre situations she finds herself. While she maintains a level head in some circumstances, her sense of adventure and willingness to explore makes her character resonate with many of us.
As an avid collector of Alice books myself, I have about 80 versions and, now that you mention it, it seems another 90 more to add to the collection!
I don’t think it’s necessarily a case of trying to stand out, but rather to add to the rich collective of Alice interpretations. All versions of the story come about through a common love for this rich, dreamy tale. Every artist has his or her own way of visually interpreting the book. But if I were to pinpoint what I think I have done differently, it would be the graphic style I have adapted, not only through the imagery but also the typography. The monochromatic palette I have used throughout the book strips away the rich tapestry of colour you would normally expect from an Alice book and takes each back to a single image or theme to compliment the story. The simplicity of this approach focuses on the narrative. The occasional pop of colour (orange is favoured) adds interest and contrast. The typography, in both form and structure, is dynamic and expressive, creating a graphic effect to complement the illustrations.
What makes Alice so appealing through the ages?
The way the story is written is timeless: Alice’s journey through Wonderland could have just as easily have happened 150 years ago as it could have today. Carroll takes us on a visual journey with his words, with each chapter drawing the reader to a new place or situation, be it falling down the rabbit hole, talking to a Cheshire cat, a mock turtle or a caterpillar. Alice continually keeps herself in check despite the bizarre situations she finds herself. While she maintains a level head in some circumstances, her sense of adventure and willingness to explore makes her character resonate with many of us.
What is your working process like?
All my paintings are initially conceived on the computer, using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I mainly do my drawing in Illustrator and arrange my composition in Photoshop. I then print the outline onto canvas and the rest is hand-painted, using acrylic paints. Once painted, I redraw over various elements using art pens and occasionally incorporate collage elements, namely buttons, paper and dollies, to help lift the story off the canvas. Quite a convoluted process, but I love the clean lines and graphic quality of the end result. The only major headache with this approach (and its focus on clean lines and white canvas!) is that ANY spilt paint can mean starting ALL OVER AGAIN! And this has happened on more than one occasion…
What other projects are you working on now?
I always have more than one project on the go and one of those projects has been launching an online business called artomobile, which sells hand-painted classic cars. I have always been a lover of the classic car, having previously owned many a vintage car, including my favourite: a 1958 Ford Zephyr Mark II. I have always loved the look of the classic car - the shape, the designs. Maybe it all stems from being driven around as a child in several of the classics that still exist today. My father died when I was 12, so maybe I associate those cars with a time when we were a family.
So this is a complete change from Alice, with Minis and VW Beetles now gracing my studio’s walls! But what I would really love is to start working on the Alice sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass. The chess board excites me!
All my paintings are initially conceived on the computer, using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I mainly do my drawing in Illustrator and arrange my composition in Photoshop. I then print the outline onto canvas and the rest is hand-painted, using acrylic paints. Once painted, I redraw over various elements using art pens and occasionally incorporate collage elements, namely buttons, paper and dollies, to help lift the story off the canvas. Quite a convoluted process, but I love the clean lines and graphic quality of the end result. The only major headache with this approach (and its focus on clean lines and white canvas!) is that ANY spilt paint can mean starting ALL OVER AGAIN! And this has happened on more than one occasion…
What other projects are you working on now?
I always have more than one project on the go and one of those projects has been launching an online business called artomobile, which sells hand-painted classic cars. I have always been a lover of the classic car, having previously owned many a vintage car, including my favourite: a 1958 Ford Zephyr Mark II. I have always loved the look of the classic car - the shape, the designs. Maybe it all stems from being driven around as a child in several of the classics that still exist today. My father died when I was 12, so maybe I associate those cars with a time when we were a family.
So this is a complete change from Alice, with Minis and VW Beetles now gracing my studio’s walls! But what I would really love is to start working on the Alice sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass. The chess board excites me!
Fiona Kain holds a master's degree in design from the University of Western Sydney, a post-graduate diploma in fine art from the Victorian College of the Arts, and a bachelor of arts in fine arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. For more than 15 years, she was also a motion graphics designer. Working on paper and canvas, she incorporates traditional painting with digital techniques.
