Illustration finally gets the spotlight it deserves
As an illustrator, I was genuinely thrilled when I heard that London is opening a new museum entirely dedicated to illustration: the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. Finally, a place where our craft receives the recognition it deserves. Because let’s be honest—illustration tends to hover somewhere between art, design, and communication. It deserves far more appreciation. Especially with the rise of AI, which has, frankly, devalued the profession.
The new museum will open soon in Clerkenwell, housed in a beautiful 18th-century waterworks building. Inside, you’ll find exhibitions, workspaces, a library, a café, and a garden—everything focused on celebrating and stimulating illustration in all its forms. It’s a dream that has been twenty years in the making, and honestly? I can’t help but feel jealous and proud at the same time.
More than pretty pictures: illustration as a cultural carrier
What I love about this museum is that it doesn’t see illustration as decoration, but as a fully fledged art form. After all, illustrations—and illustrators—are masters at telling stories through images: from children’s books to editorial work, from comics to digital visualisations. Illustration moves us, informs us, and inspires us.
The museum isn’t just a look back at the past; it’s also a launchpad for new voices. Contemporary creators are welcome too. That’s exactly what illustration needs: space to grow, to experiment, to be visible. To show that it’s more than just a simple prompt.
But… where is our Dutch Illustration Museum?
After reading about the museum in London, one question automatically came to mind:
“Why don’t we have a museum in the Netherlands that puts illustration at the centre?”
We have so much talent here. Think of our rich children’s book tradition, our comic artists, our illustrators who win international awards. We have academies and festivals—but no physical place where all of this comes together. Sure, we have the Street Art and Graffiti Museum (STRAAT Museum), where you’ll encounter illustrative work, or
An Illustration Centre Netherlands would be a logical and inspiring next step. A place where you don’t just look, but also learn, draw, and meet. Where children take workshops, students find inspiration, and professionals share their work with the public.
What such a place could be
I can picture it perfectly: an old industrial building in Amsterdam Noord, Rotterdam, or Utrecht. An open space filled with drawings, prints, digital screens, and a café where sketchbooks lie open. Rotating exhibitions featuring both historical work (classic Dutch illustrators) and contemporary makers; commissions for new illustrations; collaborations with publishers, schools, and design studios.
There’s an archive of original works, a library full of illustration books, and a studio where artists-in-residence work on new projects.
Free or low-threshold admission; workshops for children; an illustrator-in-residence programme; collaborations with festivals (comic festivals, children’s book festivals). Partnerships with STRAAT or Storyworld would be fantastic too.
It wouldn’t just be a museum, it would be a living place. A centre where illustration as a cultural form becomes visible, tangible, and experiential.
I believe we can spark this together as a creative community—as illustrators, designers, publishers, schools, and enthusiasts. By talking, sharing ideas, and perhaps even taking the first step towards a Dutch illustration museum.
Because if London can do it, why can’t we? 🇳🇱