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Drawing on experience

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SKETCHING one day on Coney Island in New York City, Bill Jacklin's concentration was temporarily distracted by a young boy who walked up behind him. 'What you doing mister, painting people, places and things?' the boy asked, all in a rush.

'I thought that was a perfect description; it's exactly what I do,' said the British artist, whose figurative oil paintings will be on show at the Arts Centre from tomorrow.

In late 1993 Jacklin spent three months in Hong Kong as the British Council's first Artist in Residence. For the council it was a new endeavour which came about as a direct response to an arts policy review report identifying visual arts as 'the Cinderella' of the territory's cultural life.

For Jacklin, now a youthful 53, it was the culmination of the vague plans of 20 years.

Two decades ago he was teaching at an art college in London and one of his students, from Hong Kong, suggested it would be an exciting place to paint. Jacklin never forgot the suggestion.

'The appeal was the energy of the place; it is really like New York in many ways,' he said.

Jacklin made New York his adopted home 11 years ago, 'because London was too restrictive'.

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