Quentin Blake: Book Covers exhibition coming to the Oxfordshire Museum this summer
Quentin Blake fans in Oxfordshire can delight in a new touring exhibition coming to the Oxfordshire Museum this summer, highlighting the illustrator’s works over the decades.
This exhibition, Quentin Blake: Book Covers, which opens on Saturday 29 June, features 60 such covers from the 1960s to the present, from mid-century Penguin paperbacks to finely crafted special editions and family-friendly poetry books.
First editions are shown alongside reproductions of original artwork from Blake’s archive that show how he combines typography, dynamic layouts and his unique way of drawing to create playful designs.
Jemma Davey, Museum Service Manager at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Quentin Blake’s illustrations are loved and appreciated across the generations. Almost everyone will recall a book from their childhood they cherished that was illustrated by Blake.
“I’m absolutely delighted we’ve been able to welcome the Quentin Blake: Book Covers touring exhibition to Oxfordshire this summer. This fabulous exhibition recalls his unique work and its diversity throughout the years, from his early work in the 1960s to his own books decades later.
“We are looking forward to giving visitors of all ages the chance to rediscover his work, and learn more about how Blake brings his magical pieces to life”
Quentin Blake: Book Covers is a touring exhibition from Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. People can enjoy it for free at Oxfordshire Museum until 8 September.
For more information about exhibitions, workshops and events at the Oxfordshire Museum, visit the museum’s website.
About Quentin Blake
Born in the suburbs of London in 1932, Blake first had his drawings published in Punch magazine when he was 16 years old and still at school.
He was head of the Royal College of Art's illustration department for more than 20 years and was later appointed the first ever Children's Laureate, a role which saw him promote children's literature.
Blake received a knighthood in 2013 for ‘services to illustration’.
About the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is the UK’s first and only charity dedicated to championing illustration: art that communicates a story, message or idea. Through exhibitions and creative projects, the Centre celebrates illustration in all its forms, supports illustrators and empowers people of all ages to share their stories.
The charity was founded in 2002 by Quentin Blake, one of the UK’s best-loved illustrators. As ‘House of Illustration’ it successfully operated a gallery, toured exhibitions and developed new ways of working with schools and community projects, working from rented accommodation in Kings Cross from 2014 – 2020.
It has now acquired a heritage site called New River Head in Clerkenwell, London to become its permanent home. A project led by Tim Ronalds Architects will restore and repurpose New River Head to offer galleries, learning spaces, public gardens, a shop and café. While the project is in development, Quentin Blake Centre continues to connect people with illustration through residencies, online events, collaborations with schools and the local community, as well as touring exhibitions across the UK.
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