About the artist
Cyril Kenneth Bird, better known by his pen name, FOUGASSE (1887 - 1965), was an acclaimed cartoonist, illustrator, and designer. He trained as an engineer at King's College London, also attending art classes at Regent Street Polytechnic School of Art and Bolt Court, Fleet Street. Forced by WW1 injuries to abandon engineering, Bird turned to art, studying under Percy V Bradshaw at the Press Art School. His artwork gained recognition when published in Punch magazine, eventually becoming Art editor in 1937, and then Editor-in-chief from 1949 for four years. Known for his minimalist, distinctive style, Bird gained considerable renown during WW2, designing iconic government posters like 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'. He showcased his work widely at the RSA and Fine Art Society, illustrated books like 'A Gallery of Games', 1921, and 'The Changing Face of Britain', 1940. Actively involved in the art community, Bird was a master of the Art Workers’ Guild and sat on the council of both the Imperial Arts League and the SGA. Partnered with artist Mary Holden Bird, he spent his life in Sussex.
