Ukrainian illustrator wins international award for artwork for Ishiguro novel
Chernov dedicated his winning illustration to a hospital scene in which the main character, Kathy, shares warm childhood memories of Hailsham boarding school. The artist explained that the scene combines warm memories with a sense of loss.
In the illustration, he also hid references to other episodes from the novel, including a football match and an art studio. He deliberately made some details unclear so that their meaning would be revealed after reading the book.
Creating the final version took about 30 hours.
Chernov said he first read the novel in 2022 while abroad. At the time, the theme of being distant from familiar places and people resonated with him especially strongly.
The jury assessed the works "blind," without knowing the authors' names. The criteria included:
The Ukrainian artist's work was recognized for its "bold visual style" and "creative interpretation" of the book.
The Folio Book Illustration Award is held annually by The Folio Society, which looks for new talent in book illustration. The winner receives 2,000 British pounds, publisher vouchers, and the opportunity to have the work published in a future edition.
For Chernov, this victory was his first major award after several unsuccessful attempts to compete in other competitions. According to him, the recognition has already brought new professional opportunities.
Among the Ukrainian works the artist would like to illustrate, he named "The Konotop Witch" and Ukrainian folk legends and myths.
Background
Misha Chernov is a Ukrainian freelance illustrator who graduated with honors from Falmouth University in the United Kingdom. In his work, he often draws inspiration from Gothic art, mysticism, and the aesthetics of dark academia.
The artist mainly creates illustrations for fiction and nonfiction books, editorial articles, and maps, and also works with calligraphy and typography.
Although Chernov now works mostly in digital format, his experience with lithography has significantly influenced his style and his love of textures. According to the illustrator, he discovered it only in his final year at university and considers the experience one of the best of his studies.
It should be noted that works by Zhenia Polosina, Yuliia Gwilim, Viktoriia Kiienko, and Mariia Tikhonova were among the 200 shortlisted projects selected by the jury of the World Illustration Awards 2025.
As Rubryka wrote, Ukrainian illustrator Maria Haiduk won the International Award for Illustration at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2025 for her project "Killing Gods." Maria Haiduk is a student at the Lviv National Academy of Arts and is originally from Kherson.
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14 of August 2026
