PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS
Even locals find it hard to navigate the monumental vastness of Beijing, and Fuller has only the most rudimentary grasp of Chinese.
Many would question the feasibility, sanity even, of his current undertaking. Fuller aims to create a hand drawn picture of Beijing in just two years, but passion drives creativity, and Fuller is lacking in neither.
After his brief fling with Beijing three years ago, he returned to London, excited, inspired and reinvigorated by the Chinese capital.
"The vitality, the productivity, the development, so many elements of mystery. In Beijing, I felt like I was perched on the edge of an abyss of new and exciting times," he said.
When the Palm Tree Gallery in London suggested that he began a "Beijing project," he had no hesitation and returned to Beijing in March.
"I tend not to look at guide books," he said. "I spend a lot of time walking and cycling. It's like going to school every day."
His first objective was to circumnavigate Beijing by the Sixth Ring Road, a mere 187.6 kilometers marking the outer reaches of the city. It took him only seven days to walk the equivalent of the distance from London to Birmingham.
"I walked eight to 12 hours a day," Fuller recalled. "I just kept walking and didn't want to sleep. It is visual exercise. I want to document everything and build up layers of ideas."
A city as large as Beijing, even for a Londoner, can be overwhelming. "The traffic in Beijing is nothing like that in Europe. Once, it took me half an hour to cross a junction."
He is also interested in the industrial side of the city. "It was the first time I had seen such large factories. You really understand the scale of industry here. I see workers every day. Some look exhausted, but still full of energy."
During his walk around the ringroad, he crossed paths with different generations of Chinese, in village cafes, in supermarkets, outside the school gates -- scenes not dissimilar to the scenes of his native city.
In spite of the language barrier, Fuller tries to talk to everyone he meets.
