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Quentin Blake's A Hundred Portraits

by Cassie Ash, Quentin Blake Centre team

Quentin has returned to Hastings Contemporary in East Sussex with an exhibition of one hundred unique imaginary portraits. These range from large works in watercolour pencil to postcard-sized pieces in biro.

Illustrations on display on a wall in an exhibition space.
"When I start to draw, I might have a sense of whether it will be a man or woman, young or old, but I discover the person while doing it… slowly I begin to meet the person and find out who they are." - Quentin Blake
A series of biro illustrations of people's heads in greens and reds pinned to a wall.

Every artwork in Quentin Blake: A Hundred Portraits is for sale and has been donated by Quentin, with prices starting at a few hundred pounds. Proceeds will support both Hastings Contemporary and Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. You can browse the sales catalogue here.

An illustration of a head in green.
An illustration of a head in purple.

Visit before it closes on 8 September, and while you are there check out the drawing hub where you are invited to play with a range of illustration materials.

A creative space called the Drawing Hub with seating, cushions on the floor, a table in the middle of the space covered in art materials. Two paper dispensers are on the walls and illustrations are hung up on a string.

Visit Hastings Contemporary

Images
Installation view, Hastings Contemporary 2024, Photo Chip Creative
Quentin Blake, Imaginary Portraits series, 2024 © Quentin Blake