Scarves for IBBY

I use everything that comes to hand: broom, rags … as long as the idea is implemented expressively. For me the biggest compliment of the reader could be a surprised shout “Ah!” when he opens a book with my illustrations.

Igor Oleynikov was born in Lyubertsy near Moscow. He began drawing as a child but later studied at the Institute of Chemical Engineering. He worked for three years as an engineer after completing six years of study. In 1979, he began working as an artist at the animation studio Soyuzmultfilm and later at the BBC Russia’s Christmas Film Studios. In 1986, he began working as an illustrator for children’s periodicals and on book projects. He is a prolific artist and his illustrations are very dynamic with unusual characters, often rendered cinematically. He prefers to paint with gouache and work with textures.

He has illustrated more than 80 books for children and young adults, including many fairy tales and classic works of children’s literature. Among these, Ballada o malen’kom buksire (The ballad of a little tugboat, 2011) by Joseph Brodsky was included in the 2012 IBBY Honour List. Other important titles include About something that cannot be – limericks of Edward Lear (2014) and the Fairy Talesof Alexander Pushkin (2016). In addition to numerous exhibitions in Russia, he has exhibited at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and at the Biennale of Bratislava.