Drawing Words: An illustration exhibition in Colombo

The British Council in Sri Lanka will present Drawing Words, an exciting new exhibition of children’s book illustrations curated by the UK Children’s Laureate and award-winning writer and artist Lauren Child. 

The Drawing Words exhibition will be on display at the British Council Library in Colombo from 29 February to 15 March from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday.

The exhibition features 10 amazing illustrators from across the UK whose work pushes the boundaries of illustration in new and exciting ways and offers unique perspectives on the world around us. The 10 featured artists include Jill Calder, Laura Carlin, Rebecca Cobb, William Grill, Emily Hughes, Yasmeen Ismail, Neal Layton, David Mackintosh, Emily Rand and David Roberts. 

The other events in the series including an exclusive illustration workshop for library members and a public presentation and workshop for arts students and other interested adults (over 18 years) with featured artist Jill Calder 

This event is free and open to the public. It is suitable for ages five and above and those who visit the exhibition with children can learn about new stories, writers and artists. 

Art students and anyone over 18 interested in children’s book illustration can attend the Illustration Masterclass with Calder, which runs for up to three hours. Calder will give an illustrated talk about her career as an illustrator, from commercial illustration to her present work as a children’s book author. This will be followed by a quick illustration project titled ‘Postcard Press’, where, working in pairs initially, students will translate, through spoken description and listening, existing postcard imagery into fresh and exciting visual responses. 

The artwork created will then be transformed into an unusual handmade book, using folding and cutting techniques. Material will be provided. Online registration is required due to limited places. The event is open to the public.