miffy & friends

For over 65 years, the iconic figure of Miffy has captivated children and adults around the world and, for the first time, the work of Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna has come to Australia in miffy & friends, a major exhibition showing at QUT Art Museum until March 14, 2021.

First created by Bruna (1927-2017) as a bedtime story for his son in 1955, the little white bunny, or nijntje as she is known in Dutch, has evolved from her life as a children’s book character into a globally-recognised and universally loved design icon.

While deceptively simple, the character of Miffy is grounded in the ideas of 20th century avant-garde art, reflecting ideas of abstractionism and colour theory. With her pared back details and purity of line, Miffy embodies a universal language of minimalism. Who would have thought that something as simple as two dots for eyes and a cross for a mouth would hold such cultural sway over generations?

Miffy will be joined in the exhibition by seven of Australia’s most exciting contemporary artists who find the ideas encapsulated in Bruna’s figure of Miffy as inspiration for their own artistic practice.

The inclusion of work by Stephen Bird, Sadie Chandler, Nadia Hernández, Carla McRae, Nell, Brian Robinson, and Vipoo Srivilasa, representing some of the biggest talent in contemporary art at the moment, firmly places the exhibition within an Australian context.

Good to know - miffy & friends presents original drawings and illustrations loaned from Dick Bruna’s estate, Mercis bv in Amsterdam, to explore his aesthetic influences and, in turn, how he has influenced generations of artists. 

QUT Art Museum is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com

Image credits - top to bottom: 

1. Dick BRUNA 

miffy makes a drawing
Illustration Dick Bruna © copyright Mercis bv, 1990

2. Dick BRUNA

miffy at the gallery
Illustration Dick Bruna © copyright Mercis bv, 1990

3. Carla MCRAE

Dick Bruna’s shelf 2020 (detail)
plywood, acrylic paint, synthetic polymer filler, polymer clay, plastic tube, cardboard tube
courtesy the artist
Photo: Mark Lobo

4. Stephen BIRD

Lost balloon 2020
tin glazed earthenware with lustre
courtesy the artist

5. Nadia HERNÁNDEZ

Igual eso se evapora (Either way it evaporates) 2020
paper, oil, flashe, acrylic on Stonehenge paper
courtesy the artist 
Photo: Louis Lim