Eyeblog

Swava Harasymowicz has double win at V&A Illustration Awards

Eyestorm Artist Swava Harasymowicz has won first place in both the “Book Cover” and “Editorial” illustrator categories at this year’s V&A Illustration awards. The book illustration was for the Penguin edition of Eugene Onegin, and the editorial, for best illustrated newspaper, magazine and comic award was for her illustration ‘Putting Daisy Down’ (pictured), which accompanied Jay McInernay’s short story with the same name for The Guardian Weekend magazine in August 2007.

The awards, which are free to enter, are held every year to highlight outstanding book and editorial illustrations published in the UK in the previous year and winning illustrations are chosen from editorial publications, children’s books, adult illustrated books and book covers. Previous winners include Quentin Blake, Michael Foreman, Ian Pollock, Ralph Steadman, Posy Simmonds and Sara Fanelli.

The V&A said it was the “powerful drawing style and effective use of empty space” that drew the judges to ‘Putting Daisy Down’. They felt the image conveyed a “strong sense of narrative”, immediately giving the viewer an idea of what the story is about. Swava said that her aim for the piece was “not to crowd the space with decoration, but emotional distance.”

Swava will be doing a short talk at the V&A as part of their ‘Friday Late Pen Paper Scissors’ event on 26th June.

A selection of screenprints by Swava are available to buy here

In Association with the Institute of Contemporary Arts

Eyestorm is the leading online gallery of limited edition contemporary art. Founded in 1999, Eyestorm came under new management in 2006 and has refined its operations to make buying the finest contemporary art easier and more enjoyable than ever before.