Behind the Frame: Crafting a Bespoke Cabinet Frame for Quentin Blake
Quentin Blake: Good Companions, Bankside Gallery 1 - 26 July 2026
Some framing projects ask for more than simply protecting and presenting an artwork. They require a frame to become part of the experience itself.
For Sir Quentin Blake's exhibition Good Companions at Bankside Gallery, FRAME London was commissioned to design and produce a bespoke cabinet-style frame that would safely house a collection of original Quentin Blake drawings while allowing them to be viewed, accessed and enjoyed for years to come.
Unlike a conventional picture frame, this piece was conceived as a finely crafted cabinet — combining museum-quality conservation with precision engineering and beautifully considered joinery.
Designing a Frame That Does More
Good Companions brings together an entirely new body of work created by Quentin Blake since 2019. The exhibition explores companionship in all its forms, from imagined characters connected through expressive portraiture to the gentle relationships between people, animals and birds that have become such a distinctive part of Blake's visual language.
To complement these intimate works, the frame itself needed to be equally thoughtful. Every detail was carefully considered, balancing elegance, durability and ease of access while ensuring the artwork remained fully protected.
Precision Engineering Meets Traditional Craftsmanship
The cabinet frame was meticulously designed and handcrafted in our London workshop using museum-standard conservation techniques throughout.
A key part of the project was selecting the right hardware. We incorporated the smartLock and matching beautifully engineered brass hinge system, allowing the cabinet to open smoothly while remaining securely locked and closed when on display.
The meticulous craftsmanship and detailing allows the functionality to disappear, leaving the viewer's attention exactly where it belongs — on Quentin Blake's drawings.
Bespoke Craftsmanship and Design
No off-the-shelf solution existed for this project. The studio requested a magnetic display system in order to display the artworks with magnets, making them removable and changeable at all times.
Alongside the specialist locking system, our team carefully designed the solution and even sourced the magnets used within the cabinet, every component was selected to work together, creating a frame that functions effortlessly while remaining visually understated.
These are often the details that remain invisible to the viewer, but they are what distinguish truly bespoke framing. The engineering hidden beneath the surface is just as important as the timber, finish and glazing visible from the outside.
Projects like this embody what bespoke framing means to us.
It's about understanding how artwork will be viewed, handled and preserved over decades—not simply producing an attractive frame. Conservation, craftsmanship and intelligent design all come together to create something that enhances both the artwork and the experience of viewing it.
Working with artists such as Quentin Blake is always a privilege, and creating bespoke solutions like this cabinet frame reminds us that framing is as much about problem-solving as it is about making beautiful objects.
FRAME London specialises in museum-standard bespoke framing for artists, galleries, museums and collectors. Whether we're designing a hidden cabinet, engineering a complex display solution or crafting a simple conservation frame, every project begins with the same principle: crafting the frame to work, look beautiful and protect the art for the long term.