Grand old man of Dutch Graphic Design, Wim Crouwel (b. 1928), gets a retrospective in London.

Crouwel is a Dutch cultural icon, and perhaps the country’s most important graphic designer. A critic recently described his work as a poetic form of cold art. “But I’m not an artist,” he says, “My work has always been for paying clients and it was really only ever about designing solutions.”

Wim Crouwel – A Graphic Odyssey will be Crouwel's first major UK retrospective. It is to be curated by Tony Brook, creative director of design studio Spin.

Spanning over 60 years, this exhibition will cover Crouwel’s rigorous design approach and key moments in his career including his work for design practice ‘Total Design’, the identity for the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, as well as his iconic poster, print, typography and lesser known exhibition design. The exhibition will also explore Crouwel’s innovative use of grid-based layouts and typographic systems to produce consistently striking asymmetric visuals.

"Original sketches, posters, catalogues and archive photography will be on display alongside films and audio commentary, we are promised in a statement from the Museum.

"In addition to celebrating Crouwel's career this exhibition will also explore his legacy and influence on contemporary graphic design with commentary from leading industry figures including Peter Saville and Stefan Sagmeister. In addition six designers will take inspiration from Crouwel's career to produce a series of limited edition prints, a unique Wim Crouwel inspired wallpaper will also be sold exclusively in the Design Museum Shop."

Wim Crouwel – A Graphic Odyssey will run from March 30 to July 3 2011.

Design Museum

28 Shad Thames

London SE1 2YD United Kingdom