Miffy and Friends at QUT: Colourful nostalgia during COVID-19

from Glass Issue 11: Reset - 2021

Finding Beauty in the Mundane

Installation view of “Miffy & Friends” (21 November 2020 to 14 March 2021) QUT Art Museum, Brisbane. Photo by Louis Lim.

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINA SIMONOSKI

Those of us who have been lucky enough to visit Gardens Point during 2020 and early in 2021, may have noticed the miffy & friends exhibition at the QUT Art Museum. At the Garden’s Point Campus, it is just below U Block, sometimes better known as the Vice Chancellor’s building. For those who don’t know, Miffy is a character created by illustrator Dick Bruna as a bedtime story for his son. Since then, Miffy has evolved into a globally recognised storybook, claymation, and animated character. With the QUT Art Museum showcasing a book from each country it was released in (spoiler: it’s a lot!), the feeling of nostalgia is truly global. I may be biased as I remember watching the claymation as a kid. It took me back to a simpler time, and I don’t only mean my childhood. Bruna’s colourful illustrations and concept art reminded me of everyday things we could do before COVID-19. Miffy is often depicted spending time with friends, riding the bus and spending time with her grandparents. There is something so organic about Miffy, it reminds me of the simple things children and adults alike miss and a reminder of better times ahead after the virus.

If you walked by the gallery during the exhibition, you may have been lucky enough to notice children light up as they see the Miffy displays. The colourful bunny cutouts enticing families inside always made me smile and also made me so proud that our University can offer some joy to families during this time.

It not only lifts the spirits of children and families that visit but also a typical uni student. I particularly enjoyed the “and friends” section of the exhibition, which features a variety of Australian artworks inspired by the works of Bruna and his character, Miffy. Many of these works feature immersion of different cultures and social commentary on topics that have fallen to the wayside since last year.

While the miffy & friends exhibition has left the QUT Art Museum, there is plenty on the schedule for the gallery in 2021 for students and the public alike to enjoy.

Carla MCRAE Dick Bruna’s shelf 2020 (detail). Plywood, acrylic paint, synthetic polymer filler, polymer clay, plastic tube, cardboard tube courtesy the artist. Photo by Mark Lobo 40 GLASS