Work by internationally-published illustration experts from the 国产视频 has gone on public display in the City.
The Hatched! Picture Book Illustration Exhibition, at The Hive, features work from recently published picture books, comics and visual guides by Piet Grobler, Becky Palmer, Daisy Hirst and Stephen Fowler, who all teach at the University.
Alongside images from these books, visitors can also learn more about the illustration process, with a rare opportunity to see the developmental stages of a book and its artwork before they are finally printed and bound.
Organised by illustrators from the 国产视频's International Centre for the Picture Book in Society, which celebrates and promotes understanding of the rich history and contemporary importance of the picture book, the exhibition will run until April 26th.
Piet, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader in Illustration, is showing his work in Chick and Muddy, based on Chinese folklore, alongside illustrations in Antonia and Pictures at an Exhibition. As these books were published with the intention of selling the rights to other languages, he had to take account of cultural diversity and how to translate cultural content, but also how to use the images as a translation tool.
Worcester-born Daisy's Hilda and the Runaway Baby is her third picture book. An early draft won the 2012 Macmillan Prize Lara Jones Award.
Stephen's Rubber Stamping not only outlines the essentials of the medium through "how-to" instructions, projects and examples, but aims to inspire the reader. His prints and artist books have been exhibited at the Tate Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Becky has recently completed her PhD on the picture book/comics hybrid. In addition to illustrations from her picture book Ellie and Lump's Very Busy Day, the exhibition will also feature A Castle in England. This is a book of short graphic fiction about Scotney Castle in Kent, supported by The National Trust and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Piet said: "Renowned Czech illustrator Kveta Pacovská once said a picture book is the first art gallery a child sees and I think the impact that picture books have on our youth is enormous.
"This is a chance to show young people how we bring stories to life and hopefully inspire them. There is a variety of illustration on show because our work is different, so it gives a glimpse of the variety that you get in illustration and the possibilities for those who choose a career in the industry."
Becky added: "From children's books, to comics, to illustrated guides, the work brought together for Hatched! Shows that the term "picture book" encompasses a range of visual literature of great breadth and inventiveness."
In conjunction with the exhibition, Daisy and Becky will run an additional drop-in workshop at The Hive on April 8 for children aged four to eight (accompanied by a parent or guardian), using print techniques inspired by the work on display to make animal pictures.
Pictures courtesy of Stephen Waldron