The Big Draw 2026
In The Big Draw 2026 at ACEC, drawing takes center stage as an independent medium, with work by Don Slizerone, Kenneth Letsoin, and Aman.
From September 5 to October 11, 2026, there will be another edition of the drawing festival The Big Draw at the Apeldoorn Centre for Contemporary Culture! The exhibition in the ACEC Café focuses on the richness of drawing as an independent medium, featuring work by Don Slizerone, Kenneth Letsoin, and Aman.
Although their styles and backgrounds differ, Don Slizerone, Kenneth Letsoin, and Aman share a fascination with the line as the foundation of their artistic practice. That concept aligns perfectly with the drawing festival The Big Draw. We view drawing as the origin of visual art: the first line, the first idea, the first movement from which paintings, murals, sculptures, and other art forms emerge.
The drawing is much more than a preparatory sketch; it is an independent medium in which observation, experimentation, and imagination converge. Everyone draws, but every artist develops their own unique style and visual language within it. This richness is central to this exhibition. As part of The Big Draw 2026, ACEC presents work by Don Slizerone, Kenneth Letsoin, and Aman. Although their backgrounds differ, they share a fascination with the line as the foundation of their artistic practice.
Don Slizerone developed a recognizable, energetic visual language from graffiti in which illustration, typography, and autonomous art come together. His spontaneous lines and organic forms show how drawing can be a direct way of creating.
Kenneth Letsoin is one of the leading street artists in the Netherlands. Building on his graffiti background, he has developed a versatile practice encompassing murals, painting, and drawings. His work is characterized by powerful compositions, color, rhythm, and a continuous interplay between the urban environment, nature, and imagination.
Aman works anonymously and explores the relationship between man, nature, and fantasy in his drawings. His poetic visual language is characterized by refined lines and a strong sense of imagination. A strong social commitment is reflected in his monumental murals.
In The Big Draw 2026 at ACEC, the artists combine new paintings and existing work. Drawing forms the basis of paintings, sculptures, and murals here. The line is always the starting point: the beginning of an idea, an experiment that results in a work of art.
The Big Draw
In 2000, the foundation The Campaign for Drawing launched The Big Draw Festival in London. This drawing event has since grown into a worldwide phenomenon that annually challenges various major cities to draw.
The first Dutch edition of The Big Draw was organized in Nijmegen in 2013. Since then, this regional event has grown into The Big Draw NL, with drawing festivals throughout the country. In Apeldoorn, the ACEC Foundation is joining in with this impressive exhibition dedicated to drawing with spray cans.
