Nora Krug wins at V&A Illustration Awards

Nora Krug has won the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year and Book Illustration prize at the V&A Illustration Awards 2019, for Heimat (Particular Books). 

Krug, who won £8,000 for the two awards, will also see her work displayed alongside the award-winning artworks from each of the four categories and the commended student shortlist in Gallery 88a on the third floor of the museum until Sunday 25th August.

Krug’s book on the lives of her German family members under the Nazi regime explores notions of identity and home. The judges praised her decision to blend almost childlike illustrations alongside photographs of her family and life in Germany during the Second World War. It was commended by the judges as brave and unique, for offering a new perspective on a sensitive, complex and painful subject.

Other winners taking home £3,000 prizes included Yehrin Tong taking home Book Cover Award for Their Eyes Were Watching God (Virago) and A. Richard Allen won the Illustrated Journalism Award Illustration for ‘My Lawyer was so bad I did the work myself’ (Sunday Telegraph). 

Student Illustrator of the Year went to Sophie Burrows for Crushing (Anglia Ruskin University) with Yanyin Xu for One by One (University of the Arts London, Camberwell College of Arts) named runner-up. Harry Woodgate for Invisible Cities (University of Hertfordshire), Junli Song for Dance (Anglia Ruskin University) and Ying Wang for Food Journey in London (University of the Arts London, Camberwell College of Arts) were all highly commended. 
 
V&A director Tristram Hunt said: “The V&A’s mission has always been to promote creativity, ingenuity and imagination. The V&A Illustration Awards perfectly encapsulate our founding purpose, celebrating some of today’s most talented artists and helping to inspire future generations. We are delighted to welcome such an exciting range of skilful works into our galleries as we celebrate this year’s award winners.”