20th May – 6th June 2021
The Turner House welcomes Roald Dahl’s iconic and much-loved fictional character, The Big Friendly Giant, as part of the touring exhibition The BFG in Pictures, curated by Quentin Blake.
The exhibition, curated by Quentin Blake, contains 40 reproductions including illustrations not used when the book was first published in 1982. They chart the development of one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature and a glimpse of a BFG that might have been.
These are exhibited alongside reproductions of the final illustrations for the book, providing a fascinating insight into the collaboration between author and illustrator.
Quentin Blake says:
“Roald Dahl and I were brought together by our publisher in the 1970s. Roald was an extraordinarily interesting person and a man of action, which is why he was so good at telling stories. He liked to tell stories about things happening, rather than about what people are (were?) thinking or feeling, which was wonderful for me to draw. Roald’s The BFG was first published by Jonathan Cape in 1982 in a hardback edition for which I did black-and-white illustrations and a design in colour for the cover. Since then the BFG and Sophie have appeared in a variety of books and situations. For this exhibition I have selected images from different versions of the BFG, starting with my first illustrations which remained unpublished for thirty years.”
House of Illustration is the UK’s centre for illustration and graphic art. Its exhibition programme explores illustration from around the world, celebrating its rich and varied history and championing emerging talent. Like The Turner House, House of Illustration doesn’t just show artwork – it’s a place to learn and create, with a pioneering education programme for everyone from 2 year olds to retirees, beginners to professionals.
Image credits:
- Cover artwork for ‘The BFG’ (Jonathan Cape, 1982) © Quentin Blake
- The BFG in Buckingham Palace Garden, from ‘The BFG’ colour edition (Puffin Books, 2015) © Quentin Blake
- The BFG Walking Down the High Street at Night, from ‘The BFG’ (Jonathan Cape, 1982) © Quentin Blake
- (Currently unpublished) drawing from the first version of The BFG © Quentin Blake
PLEASE NOTE: Physical opening is subject to coronavirus regulations. This exhibition has been curated to allow for social distancing. Digital documentation will be made available should a physical opening be unable to take place. At present all associated events will be online unless otherwise stated. Free Entry
