Ruined Finery

Ruined Finery is a limited-edition publication, that catalogues Nina Mae Fowler's drawing and sculpture practice from 2015-2020.

Presented in ‘zine’ format, Ruined Finery subverts Fowler’s artwork titles, texts and images to mimic the headline rhetoric and layout found in tabloid design. This compounds Fowler’s mastery at correlating her bygone era subject matter with strikingly similar contemporary narratives, surrounding abuses of power across industries and our insatiable, cannibalistic consumption of celebrity. The zine includes rare works in full colour and other new advances in Fowler’s practice as she continues to push the boundaries of traditions in drawing. 

Featured is Fowler’s 2019 commission for the National Portrait Gallery London, the Luminary Drawings - a suite of nine drawn portraits depicting contemporary British Film Directors - accompanied by an exclusive text from cultural historian and novelist Dame Marina Warner. 

Further contributions are included from New York based curator writer and self- titled ‘Historian of Bad Behaviour’ Alissa Bennett as well as texts from journalist, writer and columnist Eva Wiseman, and writer Austin Mutti-Mewse, author of film-star obituaries. A series of specially commissioned poems are included from Bertie Marshall. An essay titled ’Hollywood Sin’ features as a stand-alone insert within the zine, by poet and journalist Olivia Cole.

Publication design and layout Lily Alden

Art Direction Cassie Beadle