The retrospective Now That You’re Here features over 250 drawings Van den Toorn made over the past six years of her career. The exhibition shows how an idea is conceived and subsequently further developed: from the first note or doodle in her sketchbook to the final drawing. Visitors are also invited to use her work as a means of expressing their views on the state of the world. Also shown is the short NTR documentary Jip van den Toorn – Boekhouder (‘Bookkeeper’) (2026), in which director Stephane Kaas takes the viewers along in her creative process.
Humour and social commentary
Typical of Van den Toorn’s cartoons is their hard-edged, contemporary visual language that combines humour with social commentary, Observing daily life using her infallible radar for human shortcomings, social tensions, and cultural trends, she subsequently reduces these observations to transparent, often disarming illustrations. Her style is minimalistic yet precise: using seemingly simple lines, she is able to uncover complex emotions and situations, with a satirical undertone that invites reflection.
About Jip van den Toorn
Jip van den Toorn (1993) is one of the Netherlands’ most famous cartoonists. Her drawings are regularly featured in publications like de Volkskrant, De Morgen, and VPRO Gids. In 2018 she won a World Illustration Award, and in 2022 she became the youngest and first ever female winner of the Inktspotprijs cartoon award. Her book Hoe vond je zelf dat het ging? (‘How did you think it went?’) appeared in 2025. A new yearbook for 2026 will be launched early November.
Activities
The exhibitions are accompanied by a range of activities. On Saturday 7 November at 17:30 hrs, Van den Toorn will give an Artist Talk in the Kunsthal Auditorium, during which she will explain more about her working method. The exhibition is also included in the KunstHoppen (ArtHopping) tours that introduce participants to the Kunsthal’s wide-ranging programme.