51 Faces of Hackney depicts the eccentric, infuriating and bonkers side of the borough

Flat white bore (Image: Archant)

Called 51 Faces of Hackney, it is a merger between Adam Dant’s humorous illustrations, 50 People of East London, along with Martin Usborne’s photographs of Joseph Markovitch, who lived in East London for 86½ years.

Fivesugars, photo by Martin Usborne (Image: Archant)

Shoreditch resident Dant, who won the Jerwood Drawing Prize in 2002 has created a witty guide to the characters you might find in Hackney, which is inspired by the Cries of London, a series of 18th century oil paintings of street sellers depicting people like the knife grinder, broom vendor and chair mender.

Pulling the concept into the 21st century, he has depicted people like the flat white bore, the barge dwelling fantasist and the creative “digital thought leader” who is “so far ahead of the curve he has gone round the bend”.

Meanwhile Usborne’s series of portraits depict the eccentric character of Joseph Markovitch, who left London only once in his life to go to the seaside with his mother.

Me Markovitch, who passed away recently, loved Nicolas Cage, had five sugars in his tea, and would have married a six foot two Hispanic woman had it not been for the fact he bad chest catarrh and never had a girlfriend.

The show at The Proud Archivist in Hertford Road, De Beauvoir will be open seven days a week from 8am to 10.30pm until Sunday March 30.