khingspiration part two

Jun 21 – Sep 11, 2023

Thé Tjong-Khing likes to celebrate his birthday with others. In addition to the retrospective exhibition of the master, work by fellow illustrators is therefore also on display. From June 21 to September 10, it's your turn Janne Ipenburg en Branco Sugar Buijk.

Janne Ipenburg (Roosendaal, 1979) devoured Miep Diekmanns as a toddler Wheel wheel steptrilogy, which was also the start of her love for children's books. She likes when an illustrator can add suspense to an image, but at the same time retain the softness and humor of a children's book: 'Thé Tjong-Khing is a master at this, through his use of light and dark. I'm really jealous of that, because it takes guts to work with great contrasts. I am always looking for interesting compositions. I still think it is one of the most difficult but at the same time one of the most important components of imagining. Khing's compositions of his fairy tales and myths are surprising and often incomparably beautiful. Besides being exciting, his work is always funny, his characters are so recognizable and lifelike. I hope that one day I will be able to draw human figures so well myself, but luckily I still have 47 years left.'

Branco Sugar Buijk (Sittard, 2005) is definitely the youngest exhibitor of Khingspiration. In 2017, at the age of eleven, he visited an exhibition by Khing. 'I only recognized his illustrations from a few children's books that were read to me back in the day. At that moment I realized: wow, you can make drawing your profession! His work made a deep impression on me and inspired me to take up drawing more seriously than I had done until then.'

Branco corresponds with Khing, who likes his work and gives him advice about it. 'I now draw every day and Khing's illustrations continue to be an unparalleled source of inspiration for me. His work is full of action and details, like suddenly pausing a movie. I try to capture the same action and story in my own illustrations. Now, six years after that exhibition, it is a dream come true that I can exhibit my own work next to that of Thé Tjong-Khing.'

Khingspiration part 2 with Janneke Ipenburg and Branco Suijkerbuijk can be seen from 21 June to 10 September.