MoMu Talk: Anne Kurris & Paul Boudens

On the occasion of the exhibition The Antwerp Six, MoMu turns its attention to the creative ecosystem surrounding this group of groundbreaking designers. Fashion is an inherently visual medium, shaped through close collaboration with other disciplines such as photography and graphic design.

MoMu Director Kaat Debo will be in conversation with two leading figures in graphic design whose careers evolved alongside those of the Antwerp Six. Anne Kurris and Paul Boudens helped define the visual language of several generations of fashion designers. With an extensive body of work and a distinctly personal signature, they are regarded as two of the most influential voices in their field.

How do they reflect on their careers today and on their collaborations with the Six and other designers? What role do humour, experimentation and rebellion play in their practice? And how did they navigate the shift from analogue to digital?

During this talk, they share their perspectives on creative collaboration, past and present. A Q&A and a visit to the exhibition will follow.

Anne Kurris is a Belgian graphic designer known for her distinctive visual style. During her studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, she became acquainted with the Antwerp Six and became part of their close entourage. She designed the invitations and catalogues for Dries Van Noten’s fashion shows for twenty seasons, and in the same period she was invited to serve as art director for BAM!, the avant‑garde magazine of their generation. She also designed posters and ephemera for Dirk Van Saene and Walter Van Beirendonck. In 1998 she launched her own children’s fashion label, recognizable for its fresh colours and striking animal prints.

Paul Boudens is a leading figure in graphic design whose signature has shaped the visual language of Belgian fashion for decades. His career began when a birthday card caught the attention of graphic designer Anne Kurris, who encouraged him to study graphic design at Sint‑Lucas. He went on to create graphic worlds for Walter Van Beirendonck, MoMu, Dries Van Noten, Yohji Yamamoto, Jurgi Persoons, Olivier Theyskens and Haider Ackermann. In addition, he designed more than fifty internationally acclaimed books and was co‑founder and first art director of the pioneering A Magazine. For thirty years, he has been known for his uncompromising, tactile and energetic designs.

Kaat Debo is the Director and Chief Curator of MoMu. She studied literature in Antwerp and Berlin and joined the museum in 2001 as a curator. In 2009, she was appointed General Director. She has collaborated with leading designers and fashion houses and realized more than fifty exhibitions, several of which she curated. Between 2018 and 2021, she led MoMu’s major renovation and expansion. She regularly lectures on contemporary (Belgian) fashion.