Octavia Roodt Featured in 'Kijkspel' at Cultuurhuis de Bijl

Published 27 February 2023 in News

Zoersel Community

Zoersel: 'Spring Cultural Program Starts with Expo on Illustration Art'

(Translated from Dutch to English with Google Translate)

Cultuurhuis de Bijl - Spring Cultural Program - Illustration Art

Dorp 1, Zoersel, Belgium

7 - 29 January 2023


The start of a new year is accompanied by the start of the cultural spring of our community center. The 'Kijkspel' exhibition opens on 7 January, in which seventeen young illustrators from the vicinity of our province participate.

Illustration talent

During this exhibition, all attention goes to the passion of the illustrator. During the exhibition you will discover the creation process of the works of art on paper and become acquainted with the boundless imagination of the artists.

For this exhibition, we went in search of talent together with Jens Dawn – herself an illustrator and graphic designer and the driving force behind 'Tuig', a platform for starting and established illustrators and graphic designers from Flanders.

How did you go about the selection?

Jens: I have a large network of local talent anyway. We chose starting illustrators who make good work and deserve a chance to be exhibited, and artists who have been part of the circuit for a while.

What conditions must a good illustration meet for you?

Jens: Sometimes a work can be alienating, sometimes it's love at first sight. You keep looking at a good illustration for longer. You want to learn more about it.

Why should people come and watch?

Jens: It's easy to be seduced by big international names, but if you come and have a look you can see how much talent there is locally and how much talent is growing. There is no huge communication budget for these artists to promote them. Just don't forget that these local talents color the streets and they can always use an extra pat on the back / like / fan.

You can read the full interview with Jens in the ZOERSEL magazine of December 2022  (page 12).

The following illustrators participate in 'Kijkspel' in de Bijl: Lot Vandekeybus, Lisa Van der Auwera, Mauranne Bamelis, Hanne Goessens, Sarah Erha-Ya, Koen Aelterman, Febe Van Acker, Amber Gyselings, Mile Vandepitte, Mila Van Goethem, Ocatvia Roodt, Henri Deedee Moens, Nina Aerts, Paulien Verheyen, Jelle Kindt, Sander Belmans and Jens Dawn.

Octavia Roodt



'tien duizend verdrieten

en tien duizend gelukjes

is om't ewe

vir die binne-oog, die inkyk-oog.

presies dieselfde vir daai slap en gladde mooikyk-oog.

bloot net nog 'n borrel,

'n basis se woedende sensasie

wat kraak deur die dak van die nag.'


For more information about the exhibition or to read the full Interview please navigate to the Zoersel Community website here