Bored In Pandemic, She Made Art By Bruising Bananas, Became Global Hit

Anna Chojnicka makes her daily sketch on the peel, takes a photo and then eats the banana - she doesn't like waste.

Anna Chojnicka was bored as she quarantined last year in her London apartment because of a suspected case of covid-19. She was so bored that she absent-mindedly picked up a banana on her kitchen table and started running her fork along the outside of the peel. The dark lines that appeared on the peel looked interesting to her, and she watched as the marks gradually got darker. She continued doodling and was soon fascinated. She drew eyes, a nose and a mouth and - satisfied with how it looked - decided to see how far she could go with it. She drew an abstract pattern, then a profile in shadow. Chojnicka, 35, started making pictures that were more and more intricate using the same method - only pressure, no paint - until she sketched an Ethiopian coffee pot and cup. Her new hobby was born.