A new exhibition is about to open featuring never-seen-before items and artworks from author illustrator Raymond Briggs.
‘Bloomin’ Brilliant: The Life and Work of Raymond Briggs’ is a highly personal show that will bring together 30 items from the late author’s estate with more than 100 original artworks from his 60-year career.
It is being held at Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft near to the late author’s home.
The exhibition runs from Saturday 27 April to Sunday 27 October. Details of opening times and prices here.
‘Bloomin’ Brilliant’ includes work from Briggs’s pioneering titles including ‘The Snowman’ (1978), ‘Father Christmas’ (1973), ‘Fungus the Bogeyman’ (1977) and ‘When the Wind Blows’ (1982), plus the autobiographical graphic novel ‘Ethel and Ernest’ (1998), delving into the origin and creation of these classic images and stories. Also on show are his drawings, hand-lettered typography and page designs from his earliest commissions to his 2004 book ‘The Puddleman’.
For the first time following the author’s death in 2022, this exhibition will also offer a deeply personal view of the items and objects that surrounded the author in his Sussex home, which was just a mile down the road in the village of Westmeston. This will include Briggs’ own writing and drawing desk which he used for more than 40 years and where he first originated some of his most famous works.
More details about the exhibition here and click here to buy tickets.
The nearest railway station is Hassocks and directions to the museum are here.
Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft is part of the Thameslink Art Trail by Rail which promotes trips by train on the Thameslink network to see grand city galleries, quirky street art trails, active outdoor audio-visual guided walks, colourful toy museums and unusual sculpture parks.
Image: Window page spread The Bear © Raymond Briggs 1994
