The title “ A drawback refers to the disadvantaged position that drawing has had for a long time. It was a drawback as an artist to make drawings because it was taken less seriously than other forms of visual art. It was mainly considered for prilimary study, sketch, illustration, or as a brainstorming medium.
With this exhibition we want to emphasize that this is incorrect.
In the Netherlands, the art of drawing has greatly emancipated in recent years to become a mature medium.A new generation of young artists has risen that explicitly focuses on drawing.
They do not focus on the technique and craft, but on the expressiveness and meaning of the image.The imagery used is a contemporary, the content of the work is central and thus drawing provides a place in the discourse of contemporary modern art.

A drawback is committed to artists for who drawing is an integral part of their professional practice and for whom the meaning of the image is decisive.A strong content, personal imagery, innovative and relevant work that can move the audience all this legitimizes the use of drawing and therein lies the true and innovative power of the medium.

The artists chosen for A drawback draw in many different ways. Not only are almost all possible techniques represented, but also thematically, there is a whole range
of subjects. However, when one looks at the exhibition as a whole patterns can be recognized.

They are all contemporary artists from different countries and of different ages.What unites them is a passion for drawing.

The work of the artists chosen range from very realistic to very free. But they are all representatives of figurative, narrative imagery.This seems to be an emerging trend in contemporary drawing. In recent years, the principle of storytelling has become a central form of communication, also in other areas of social life.

Our exhibition focuses on this important art movement and presents the work of international artists, which are among the most interesting exponents of this narrative way of drawing.Various forms of storytelling are shown to illustrate the capabilities
of this artistic position.This can be in a single image or in a series.Which sometimes make use of text.A successful example is Marcel van Eeden who has been making series of narrative drawings that tell a complex story. Fact and fiction constantly

blur together. Sebastiaan Schlicher and Nathan Menglesis too make use of text, but with them a single drawing them tells many stories.The work of Witte Wartena is also often serial, but the work can also be seen in isolation.The texts on outdoor advertising in his cityscapes grab your attention. In group portraits are hidden stories. We look at the moment when watching becomes reading and reading is done by taking a look. Precisely this twilight zone intrigues us.

The representation of the human figure plays a major role.The implicit narrative research of how contemporary artists explore personal and cultural stories.

By examining topics such as fame, sex, political affiliation and anonymity artists invite viewers to draw their own conclutions and examine their own relationships with these different identities.
The focus of the viewer is directed to the meaning of facial expressions, body language and clothing to decipher what is being presented.Who are these people, or rather, what they represent? Iris van Dongen and Fiona Michie make dramatic, layered drawings that are dominated by women: monumental and mysterious.With pastel and charcoal they evoke a dark environment with beautiful heroines.

Being a traveling exhibition on the composition of the selected artists may vary per city. In every town where the exhibition takes place new, local artists are invited and some drop off.The work shown is different every time. Many of the artists have lived in multiple of the host cities.