Thé Tjong-Khing – Max Velthuijs Award 2010 | Dutch Inspired

Thé Tjong-Khing – Max Velthuijs Award 2010

Thé Tjong-Khing (born August 4, 1933) has won the Max Velthuijs award of 2010. The Max Velthuijs award is a triannual oeuvre prize for the best Dutch illustrator for children’s books.

The Tjong-Khing

According to the jury, the works of Thé are characterized by great dynamism. His numerous spiritual illustrations are remarkable agile and graceful, even in their notorious awkwardness and clumsiness. The combination of clear and accessible figurative quality innovation make his works recognizable and widely known and loved.

Puss in Boots by Thé Tjong-Khing

The Tjong-Khing Puss in Boots by Thé Tjong-Khing

Thé was born in Purworedjo, Java to a large Chinese Indonesian family. As a child he was interested in the Tarzan comic strips of Edgar Rice Burroughs. He attended the Seni Rupa (arts) institute in Bandung. After that, in 1965, he came to the Netherlands and started as a draftsman at the Toonder Studio’s, initially as a volunteer and later as an employee.

In 1970 he was asked to provide illustration for Miep Diekmann’s children’s book. He became a freelance illustrator providing illustration to many children’s book authors such as van Guus Kuijer, Els Pelgrom, Sylvia Vanden Heede, Dolf Verroen and Annie M.G. Schmidt.

The wolf and the seven little goats by Thé Tjong-Khing

The Tjong-Khing The wolf and the seven little goats by Thé Tjong-Khing

Thé won the ‘Gouden Penseel’ (Golden Brush) award three times and in 2005 he won the Woutertje Pieterse Prijs for his book Waar is de taart? (Where is the cake?), a picturebook without text. For this he also won the Zilveren Penseel (Silver pencil).

The Tjong-Khing Rapunzel by Thé Tjong-Khing