LONDON, Oct 17: An upcoming artist from Karnal in Haryana, who recently graduated from a UK university, has been named winner in the Emerging Illustrator category at the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum’s Illustration Awards in London.
Aditi Anand, 25, from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England, received the award at a recent ceremony for her artwork ‘Marigolds’, which will be on display at the world-famous Victoria and Albert (V&A) Design Museum in London until September 2025.
Selected from over 2,000 entries that the V&A awards received, ‘Marigolds’, which bagged the GBP 3,000 prize, is set in India and addresses the theme of child labour and lost childhoods.
Inspired by flower markets in India, the illustrations tell the story of a mother teaching her child to make marigold garlands for sale. The judges admired the use of colour, evoking both the flowers’ alluring beauty and the contrast of flower sellers’ dank working conditions and reality of child labour.
“I am extremely thrilled to have won the V&A Illustration Award for ‘Marigolds’ and I am deeply honoured that the V&A has shown such respect for this theme by providing it with a platform and displaying it in the museum,” said Anand, who reached here from India to receive her award.
“I hope it offers readers a window into a world that may be very different from their own. This achievement would not have been possible without the remarkable Children’s Book Illustration team at Anglia Ruskin, and I am endlessly grateful for the support of my tutors and peers throughout my MA,” she said.
She credited her teachers at the ARU, where she was studying for a Master’s Degree in Children’s Book Illustration.
Anand, who initially studied for a business degree, has no regrets about her change of direction as she now navigates the next stage of her career in illustration.
“During my Bachelor’s degree in commerce and business, I discovered a creative outlet by working for the college magazine, which led me to develop an interest in books and publishing. I found great joy in reading picture books, and their powerful ability to convey ideas inspired me to explore children’s book illustration. Switching fields has been the best decision I’ve ever made!
The V&A Illustration Awards is a biennial competition celebrating excellence in illustration and contemporary practice, judged by a panel of prominent illustrators and industry experts.
Shelley Jackson, Associate Professor and Course Leader for the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at ARU, said: “Aditi Anand’s illustrations are just as warm and charming as she is. Her atmospheric work excels at drawing the viewer into the intimate moments of her characters.” (PTI)
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