"Specialist Nicholas Bonner offers and insight into this isolated, fiercely ideological society."- The Observer Beautifully produced and printed on toothy uncoated paper, with an appealing use of colour throughout, the book contextualises its content through essays and extended captions, encouraging readers to consider not only the images' visual appeal but also what they can tell us-through their appearance, style, origin and means of production-about North Korea itself.". A rare glimpse of the country's visual culture and shows how the ideology of the Workers' Party is expressed in everything from cosmetics to cigarette cartons." - .uk Essays by Bonner provide an insight into daily life and culture in the country and highlight some recurring themes in North Korean design. "The most comprehensive collection of North Korean graphic ephemera to date.". But now a different side of modern design in the country - one rarely considered by non-North Koreans - is being showcased in a new book." - CNN.com/style "The few examples of North Korean design seen by those outside the secretive state show a number of recurring themes. "Graphic designs used in adverts for drinks and sweets offer a hint of luxury and a break from daily monotony." - Wired "An insight into the banalities of a country's whose name is synonymous with the cult of personality, political and cultural oppression, and the threat of nuclear war." - .uk Thousands of items, from tinned food labels to invitations for state performances, many strikingly beautiful in design, are laid across 240 pages, bringing with them many hours of browsing.". Nicholas Bonner in a solid position to consider, in impressively vast detail, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's state-controlled design output. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a place of endless fascination. Steeped in Cold War-era Communist iconography and antiquated fonts, this coffee-table book reveals a country with a design aesthetic frozen in 1950s amber, and much of it is enchanting and beautiful to behold." - The A.V. "Nicholas Bonner has assembled a fascinating collection of graphic ephemera from the country - everything from comic books to canned sardine wrappers and airsick bags to cigarette boxes. "ocuments a secretive side of a country's culture that very few ever see or experience." - Hypebeast "Because Pyongyang is the only North Korean city frequented by foreigners, the regime goes to great lengths to ensure that its inhabitants make a good impression with their appearance and are ideologically sound." - Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea There's one in every apartment and factory floor in Pyongyang." - Adam Johnson, author of The Orphan Master's Son "Inside, I'm assaulted by the evening propaganda broadcasts coming over the apartment's hard-wired loudspeaker.
I will never truly be free of its gravity, no matter how far I journey." - Hyeonseo Lee, defector It is more like leaving another universe. The 240 page hardback book looks as appealing as its contents are impressive presents a one-of-a-kind look at life in the DPRK."Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. " Printed in North Korea, sheds humanizing light on both the art and lives of talented North Korean artists. Bonner hopes that readers' experiences with the book will invite a sense of fresh cultural engagement with North Korean people."- Korean Quarterly
Printed in North Korea paints a lively portrait of revolutionary North Korea as a utopia of color, beauty, fulfilled and educated workers and technology working in harmony with the natural world. "A unique book of illustrations that is surprising in its color, beauty, and origins in the propaganda art of North Korea. "A fascinating look at a country that remains mysterious to many in the west, Printed in North Korea will captivate you with its abundance of beautiful images while giving you insight into life and propaganda inside the DPRK."- Art & Object "Nicholas Bonner's new book explores the beauty of North Korean visual art – and the role of woodblock and linocut prints in spreading propaganda."- Creative Review "Artwork never before seen outside of the rogue state."- The Sunday Telegraph
If you want to learn about life in this most reticent and yet fascinating of countries this book is both essential and irresistible."- Michael Palin, British comedian, actor, writer and TV presenter The range and accomplishment of the local artists and printmakers is often dazzling. Page after page of colourful images strip away the darkness and secrecy with which the DPRK is so often associated. Beautifully produced and and edited, it offers a portrait of life in North Korea that few of us will ever have seen before.