Leonie Lachlan's Tale of many Cities

Wed, 4 Jul 2012 | By Emily Gosling

Back in November last year, we reported on illustrator Leonie Lachlan’s City Cypher series of city guides inspired by the built environment and the psychology of space.

the City Cypher guide book series

Now, Lachlan has a new solo show, also inspired by the city, which once again showcases her talent for highly detailed, intricate perspectives on cityscapes.

Fedora, pencil and chalk on paper

Lachlan works across printmaking, etching, drawing and building – her style often owing as much to architectural drawing as illustration.

Berlin guide book front cover

Berlin guide book illustration

The show, entitled Plan, opens this week, and will be exhibiting works from her large-scale ‘The Envisageable Cities’ series together for the first time, alongside new works created exclusively for the exhibition.

Moriana, pencil and chalk on paper

These new works were created in response to the Golden Lane Estate, a council hosing complex built in the 1950s, which is also home to the gallery. The site was conceived as a model for social integration: created in the wake of the destruction caused by the World War II bombings, it stood as a symbol of post-war recovery.

Sao Paulo guide book front cover