London’s getting a brand new cultural draw this weekend, and it’s one that should be right up your street if you love illustration, art and a bit of literary nostalgia.
Have you ever picked up a Roald Dahl book and wondered who gave it that wonderfully chaotic charm? The answer is Sir Quentin Blake, one of Britain’s most beloved and prolific illustrators.
With a few loose, lively lines and a burst of ink-splashed mischief, he brought Dahl’s worlds to life from Matilda’s bright-eyed intensity to The BFG’s lanky grin and Willy Wonka’s unforgettable edge.
The world’s biggest permanent art gallery for illustrations is coming to London
The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration opens in Clerkenwell this Friday June 5 2026, bringing the UK its first permanent home dedicated to illustration and, impressively, the world’s largest gallery of its kind.
Housed in a former waterworks, the new centre is much more than just a gallery. Visitors can expect three exhibition spaces, a library, learning rooms, public gardens, a café and a shop, all designed to celebrate illustration in every form.
In other words, it’s not just for kids’ book fans though there’s plenty here for anyone who grew up on Quentin Blake’s instantly recognisable doodles.
Celebrating Sir Quentin Blake and his iconic work
The debut exhibition, Murugiah: Ever Feel Like…, is kicking things off with a bold, colourful punch. Murugiah’s work mixes sci-fi, anime, pop-punk and psychedelic energy, so it should make for a seriously eye-catching first show. It’s a fitting opening too, given the centre has been decades in the making and was first imagined by Quentin Blake himself back in 2002.
Best of all, the opening lands just in time for a weekend visit, giving Londoners a fresh reason to head to Clerkenwell.
Lindsey Glen, the gallery’s director, expressed her enthusiasm: “Now, there will be a place where everyone can explore this important, yet overlooked, artform, filled with imaginative exhibitions, installations, books, play and making.”
