Naïve, folksy, but with a classical edge, Victoria Fomina’s paintings make viewers want to jump down the rabbit hole with her into a charmingly surreal world of detail and colour, crafted in the artist’s unique style. Vastly experienced, she has illustrated over 40 books for leading publishers, from classic fairy tales and novels to biographies of the great composers.
Clients love the dedicated and imaginative way Victoria interprets each brief. No detail is too small as she explores new visual metaphors, adding value to the projects she works on. Victoria is inspired by great artists like da Vinci, Vermeer and Klimt. She loves painting en plien air in the cherry orchard near her home.
Approach
When Victoria receives a brief she dives into the story and surrounds herself with relevant illustrations, postcards, photos, shells, flowers and more to set the perfect tone. She works with watercolour, gouache and acrylic – fluid media that allow for great spontaneity.Styles
Combining the avant-garde with the traditional, Victoria varies her style depending on the content of the book she’s working on. For a classic or historical narrative she may lean towards a gothic or rococo look, or she might use Pop Art or collage techniques to generate something more contemporary.Awards
Awards
1999 – Golden Pen of Belgrade – First prize
2003 – Golden Apple, Bratislava – First prize
2017 – Global Illustration Awards, Frankfurt – Gold Award
2019 – Nami Concours, South Korea – Purple Island Award
2020 - Nomination for The Hans Christian Andersen Award, IBBY
2021 - American Illustration 40 - Winner
2022 - American Illustration 41 - Winner
2023 - American Illustration 42 - Winner
