Jury Report Chad Biliyeu

Jury report Chad Biliyeu

Chad Bilyeu, writer, art director and photographer, came to Amsterdam 14 years ago to study American Studies. On his own behalf, he began to record his observations and adventures in a series of comic strips with new artists/comic artists. The stories are funny, but also authentic.

They are everyday, often almost clichéd events in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, the bicycle depot or just somewhere in the city, but also personal stories, and backgrounds to Dutch cuisine or specific buildings. Amsterdam is not an accidental or temporary subject in Bilyeu’s stories, but invariably the main character in the artist’s oeuvre. They provide insight into the way newcomers see the city, but also hold up a mirror to Amsterdammers themselves.  Amsterdam is not an accidental or temporary subject in Bilyeu’s stories, but invariably the main character in the artist’s oeuvre. Bilyeu’s work offers a new view of the city, a new storyline, in a strong and completely unique signature.

The jury of the Tim Killiam Prize appreciates Bilyeu’s stories, the process of writing and imagining, and the collaboration with a wide range of illustrators who have all lived in Amsterdam for a shorter or longer period of time. This way of working as a kind of collective creates a distinctly eclectic set of texts and images: whimsical, raw, unpredictable and versatile, just like the city itself.

Bilyeu’s work makes a unique contribution to the tradition of depicting the city of Amsterdam. Although Bilyeu’s personal experience is always central, his stories have a universal eloquence.

 

The jury of the Tim Killiam Prize 2024 consists of:

• Annemarie de Wildt,  curator emeritus Amsterdam Museum (Andreaspenning 2023)
• Edwin Becker, Head of Exhibitions Van Gogh Museum
• Hans Aarsman, Photo Detective
• Indira van ’t Klooster, Director ARCAM
• Martijn Bosch, Director Museum of the Canals Amsterdam

 

Illustration: Chad in Amsterdam by: Lorenzo Milito.

 

 

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