Thé Tjong-Khing

Fairy Tale Artist

Thé Tjong-Khing (Purworejo, 1933) is one of the best-known book illustrators in the Netherlands. Adults know him from his illustrations for stories by authors like Els Pelgrom and Annie M.G. Schmidt. Children and parents also know him from the graphic novels he has been drawing from his own imagination for the past twenty years, such as “Where is the Cake?” (2004) and the rewriting and illustrating of fairy tales in “The Fairy Tale Teller” (2018).

Scary and Funny

This exhibition features a selection of Thé Tjong-Khing’s illustrations from the past twenty years. Thé Tjong-Khing has a unique drawing style. Menace, humor, and the use of examples from art and fashion are recurring elements in his work. The humor can be found in the situations the characters in his stories find themselves in. Menace is palpable in the environments in which the story scenes are drawn. And if you look closely, you’ll see that Thé Tjong-Khing has also drawn inspiration from examples in the visual arts.

Modeling himself

Although Thé Tjong-Khing is now 87 years old, he still feels like a child. In his studio, there’s a large full-length mirror where he practices the poses in which he wants to draw his characters. For example, he poses in front of the mirror as a fighting knight, a frightened princess, or a vain Puss in Boots, to create his exciting, funny, and relatable drawings. Thé Tjong-Khing still draws every day, perhaps a little slower than before.

Scavenger Hunt

In addition to Thé Tjong-Khing’s drawings, a scavenger hunt has been set up, we’ve set up a reading corner where you can browse Khing’s books, and there’s a drawing table where Tjong-Khing invites you to finish his drawing on the wall.