Laura Winstone Shortlisted for V&A Illustration Awards 2020

Huge congratulations to QEST Sandringham Association of Royal Warrant Holders Scholar Laura Winstone whose work has been shortlisted in the Student Illustrator of the Year category of The V&A Illustration Awards.  Established in 1972, the awards are the UK’s most prestigious annual illustration competition.  They celebrate excellence in student illustration and three categories of contemporary practice: book cover design, book illustration and illustrated journalism. 

Laura’s first six illustrations are part of a non-fiction children’s book, The Catmolean Mewseum, in which a friendly black cat explores ancient artefacts and cultural objects in a museum.  The illustrations are made from paper collage, stained papers cut into delicate shapes and follow a cat exploring Greek pottery, blue and white delftware, Staffordshire figurines and Mexican folk art. Laura’s work celebrates world culture, beautiful craftsmanship, history and British museums and these works were created as part of her MA at Anglia Ruskin University, where she is studying children’s book illustration.

Her second set of illustrations for the awards are inspired by local markets, exploring local produce and celebrating a sense of community.

Laura comments, “I am so honoured to have my work recognised and to be shortlisted in such a fantastic competition. I love the V&A museum and the amazing collections they offer are a great source of inspiration for my work. It feels like a wonderful dream.”

For more details on the awards and the shortlisted illustrators, click here.