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Illustration House is pleased to present “Sequential Art: The Universal Language” a special exhibition of Flemish Cartoon and Comic art, which will run from July 19 to August 20, 2008. The exhibition will present over 100 paintings, illustrations, comic strips and book art by the five selected artists debuting in the United States: Jan Bosschaert, “NIX”, Ilah, Judith Van Istendael, and Olivier Schrauwen.

The show is curated by Carl Wyckaert and organized by his company Graphic Novel Art. In 2006, he invited five American artists to have their works shown at a premiere exhibit in two cities in Belgium–including renowned comics creators Michael Golden and Joe Jusko, booked via cooperation with Eva Ink Artist Group. Graphic Novel Art was born as a result of this show, and “Sequential Art: The Universal Language” is Wyckaert’s reciprocal event showcasing Belgian artists in the United States.

Belgium is the historic cradle of European comics, and it still generates talented artists. The show provides an introduction to the wide variety of contemporary Flemish illustration and comic culture. The current selection of artists, who have all been published overseas, range from paintings by Jan Bosschaert to the highly sarcastic comic strips of “NIX”. Ilah’s character Cordelia would blend in nicely with the women of “Sex and the City”. Van Istendael’s psychological narratives blend the illustration and comic book genres, and Schrauwen’s work for “My Boy” shows that Europeans also find inspiration in American classics like Winsor McCay, but with their own peculiar view point.

The opening will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at Illustration House from 4:00-8:00 pm, and the artists will be present. Illustration House is located at 110 West 25th Street in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. For further information, contact Zaddick Longenback at 212-96-9444 or info@illustrationhouse.com