Be enchanted by large scale works of more than 30 illustrations.

Illustrated storybooks are often a child’s first encounter with works of art. Most of us vividly remember the picture books we read as children. The characters, images and stories sparked our curiosity and opened up new worlds.

The Art of Illustration features over thirty works made by some of New Zealand’s best-loved illustrators. The exhibition features original drawings made by award-winning artists such as Donovan Bixley and Stephanie Thatcher as well as several unpublished works, and pictures.

The exhibition covers a great range of subjects and styles, showcasing wonderful visual imagery. Some are detailed and highly finished, while others are loose and seemingly spontaneous. It takes great skill to make a drawing appear effortless, and much thought goes into the way in which images are fitted to a text, or how a text is inserted into the images. Sometimes the illustrator is also the author of a book; however, many books are collaborations between an author and illustrator. In these cases, an artist is given the task of interpreting a story and finding the right visual language to give faces to characters, atmosphere to places and a particular dynamic to the narrative.

Illustrators do not simply provide literal depictions of what a text describes. Rather, they create a world, sometimes telling additional stories with images that add another dimension to the text. The process is no different from any other creative endeavour; it requires skill and insight, and more often than not involves multiple attempts and trial-and-error experimentation.

Whether they are stories with a moral message, lighthearted tales or character-driven books, children’s books are not only for children. The most successful children’s literature engages adults as well as young readers, and remains relevant many years after a book has been published. The collection compiled shows the diversity of images and stories that form part of our collective imagination.

Donovan Bixley, Stephanie Thatcher, Sara Mutande, Diana Pearl and Amy McKinnon.
Supported by Whitecliffe College of Art and Design and Dorothy Butler Bookshops.