On 9th November Hyatt Place London City East is honoured to launch a retrospective of the work of renowned cartoonist Bill Tidy MBE. The exhibition is part of the hotel’s Curated at Hyatt Place exhibition series and bursary; created to support London artists and which sees artwork displayed throughout the hotel in Whitechapel.

The exhibition will be the first retrospective of Bill’s work since his passing in March of this year. The exhibition has been curated by Bill’s daughter Sylvia Tidy-Harris and sees thirty of Bill’s much loved cartoons displayed throughout the hotel with all the works available to buy.

Bill Tidy MBE was one of an elite group of phenomenally talented cartoonists and he was best loved for memorable and hilarious cartoons. He was also the fastest cartoonist, able to entertain audiences with his lightening speed as he drew as fast as he spoke. In addition Bill was an author and illustrator of over 100 books, a writer and a TV and radio presenter. Bill’s most famous and most popular cartoon of all is, “Is there Any News of the Iceberg?”.

His unique wit and indomitable style gained him many fans throughout a career which spanned over 65 years. Many will recall his popular cartoon strips such as The Fosdyke Saga (Daily Mirror) and The Cloggies (Private Eye).

Bill had an exceptional and innate ability to tailor highly amusing cartoons to any theme irrespective of the occasion and however sensitive or diverse the subject matter may be.

“Dad loved to draw. Growing up we had the best birthday cards, brilliantly detailed boiled egg faces, reinvented sauce bottle labels and secretly he used to draw the outline of art homework too. Ostrich eggs, tablecloths, cricket bats, garden pots, walls ….. Literally on anything and for everybody. He was funny, loving, and our mother Rosa, us kids and his grandchildren Scarlette and Jones were his life although his paper and pens came a very close second.” Sylvia Tidy-Harris

The Curated at Hyatt Place art exhibition series takes place across the Hyatt Place London City East Hotel in Whitechapel with works displayed throughout the skyline bar PocketSquare and Zoom East Kitchen & Bar.

All of the artwork in the Curated at Hyatt Place Bill Tidy exhibition will be available to purchase with 25% of all sales going into the art bursary that will be used to support and fund work from a new cartoonist. The exhibition will be open to all visitors to the hotel who will be able to enjoy Bill’s work while they stay, drink or dine.

“We are honoured to be hosting this retrospective of Bill’s work and as a long time fan of Bill’s I am thrilled to be working with Sylvia on the exhibition. I’m looking forward to seeing Bill’s cartoons bring a smile to the faces of our guests as they always have done for me.” Michael Mason-Shaw, General Manager Hyatt Place London City East

Curated at Hyatt Place launched in March 2022 with an exhibition from renowned photographer Nick Danziger. This was followed by exhibtions from internationally acclaimed fashion and portrait photographer David Stetson and London Fashion Week favourite, photographer Ben Broomfield. The most recent exhibition was from street artist, illustrator and printmaker Sam Kerridge who also painted a permamant mural for Zoom East’s Terraza. Hyatt Place London City East also regularly works with up and coming artists commissioning works from east London street artist Jay Kaes, textile design graduate Ellen Russell, London artist Olly Fathers and award-winning large-scale artist Lothar Götz.

Guests can visit the hotel to enjoy the free exhibition which will run from 9th November 2023 until February 2024. Find the exhibition at Hyatt Place London City East, 45 Whitechapel Road, E1 1DU.