On Monday, our Art Scholars had the incredible opportunity to visit the Tim Burton exhibition at The Design Museum, the final stop on a decade-long world tour and its only showing in the UK. The exhibition offered a fascinating deep dive into the mind of a modern artistic genius and legendary filmmaker behind beloved classics like Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice.

We were immersed in Burton’s distinctive creative universe, exploring his early childhood sketches, eerie paintings and fantastical film designs. The exhibition showcased not just his famous movies but also his lesser-known work as an illustrator, photographer, sculptor and fashion designer. Seeing his original drawings, storyboards and even sculptural installations up close gave us a new appreciation for his unique gothic-yet-playful style.

One of the highlights was discovering how Burton’s recurring themes—lonely outsiders, twisted fairy tales, and darkly comic creatures—appear across all his art, whether in films, sketches, or costumes. The exhibition also revealed his creative process through behind-the-scenes props and collaborations with designers.

“We really enjoyed being able to see the work of Tim Burton in real time. It was interesting to see this famous artist’s thought process and initial designs through different media, such as acrylic, coloured pencil, watercolour, pencil sketch, photography, costumes and so much more. We learnt more about his distinct art style as we moved through the exhibition, and we learnt he designed the costumes for many famous movies/series (e.g. Batman, Alice in Wonderland & Wednesday)! We also saw a short exhibition in the Design Museum showing the evolution of electronics (typewriters, laptops & phones).” Yoyo and Suhana, Lower V

The exhibition was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we left feeling inspired by Burton’s boundless imagination.

The Art & Design Department