The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is set to become the UK’s only permanent space dedicated to the art of illustration, with a mission to celebrate an often overlooked artform. Quentin Blake, the renowned illustrator, has been instrumental in bringing this project to life, and his distinctive style is evident throughout the centre.
A collection of birds, including a bird stretching its wings to fly, with a flash of orange and blue, and a green bird running mischievously, will serve as the mascots for the centre. These creatures were chosen for their curiosity, problem-solving skills, and ability to mimic human speech, which reflects the spirit of illustration.
Quentin Blake founded the centre, originally called House of Illustration, as a charity in 2002, with a group of friends. The charity aimed to address the fact that illustration is often unsung in museums, galleries, and public art centres. According to Blake, “Illustration doesn’t get so much notice because it isn’t fine art; but it’s a language that everyone understands.”
They have undergone significant development, with a new home in the restored 18th-century waterworks, New River Head, in Clerkenwell. The project cost £12.5 million, including funding from Blake himself and a £3.75 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
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The centre will host residencies exploring social, industrial, and environmental change, as well as a range of exhibitions. The opening exhibitions include Quentin Blake: Performance, which examines the impact of theatre on his career, and Queer as Comics, featuring the country’s first published gay comic strip. A debut solo show by Murugiah, a British/Sri Lankan illustrator, completes the inaugural line-up.
A free-to-access library is also available, where visitors can browse hundreds of books and magazines beneath a set of screenprints and linocuts by Sophy Hollington. The garden, designed by Sue Amos, is intended to be “fluid like water and a little bit wild”, with opportunities to draw.
In the context of the illustration industry, the centre’s opening is particularly significant, as it faces challenges from the rise of AI. The centre’s role in celebrating the illustrator as a creative force that cannot be replicated is vital, and its timing is apt.
Illustration has often been overlooked, despite its ability to convey complex ideas and emotions. The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration provides a unique opportunity to explore the breadth and diversity of illustration, and to appreciate the skill and creativity of illustrators like Blake.
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The centre’s focus on illustration as a language that everyone understands is also noteworthy. As Blake notes, illustration has the power to transcend borders and cultures, and to convey ideas and emotions in a way that is both universal and personal.
The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is now open.
Its future looks promising. With a range of exhibitions, residencies, and facilities, the centre is set to become a hub for illustrators and art lovers alike. For more information, visit qpcentre.org.uk.
