Hak Baker does not, on the face of it, seem like an obvious candidate for apocalyptic thoughts. To encounter the acclaimed Isle of Dogs native and self-styled ‘G-folk’ star – all devilish grin, infectious East End charm and whirling tales of youthful mischief – is not to be immediately put in mind of a jittery doomsday prepper, stacking canned goods in a bomb-proof shelter. But appearances can be deceiving. And now, Baker’s forthcoming progression as an artist, an extraordinary creative leap tailor-made for an era of social inequity, internet addiction and post-pandemic disillusionment, arrives shaped by his belief that (figuratively, at least) only societal collapse can pave the way for a better, brighter tomorrow.
