Gérard DuBois won the V&A Illustration Awards for his work on a new edition of Cormac McCarthy The road, published in 2021 by The Folio Society.
DuBois’ illustrations, which saw him crowned Book Illustration Winner and Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year, were hailed by the judges as “masterpieces” that “perfectly capture the beauty and rawness of McCarthy’s text. “.
The jury of Dapo Adeola, Ann Kiernan, Axel Scheffler and Posy Simmonds, chaired by V&A director Tristram Hunt, described DuBois’ work as “magnificent, rich, poignant and melancholy”.
“Gerard DuBois’ paintings are beautifully atmospheric and cleverly convey the feeling of the book,” Scheffler said. “DuBois has a great sense of composition and color. Couldn’t be better.
DuBois said, “It is a tremendous honor to have my work recognized by such a prestigious institution as the V&A. For me, working on this book was already one of the highlights of my career, and this recognition makes it even more special. I dedicate these awards to Mr. Cormac McCarthy, to whom I would like to express my deepest gratitude for allowing me to illustrate his remarks, and to The Folio Society.
The finalist in the Book Illustration category was Luisa Jung for her work in Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Plan to Beat Themwritten by Alberto Espay and Benjamin Stecher, and published by Cambridge University Press in 2020.
Kerry Hyndman won the Book Cover Award for The rich house by Stella Gibbons, published by Penguin in 2021, with judges describing her work as primarily digital, incorporating hand-drawn textures and layers into the image to add depth and detail.
In the winning cover, viewed from atop a cliff, three women stroll on a beach. “The encroaching sea and the hovering seagull, and their footprints and shadows, suggest the setting of Gibbons’ novel – a seaside resort on the eve of World War II – and its story of intertwined relationships,” the authors said. judges.
The category runner-up was Lela Harris for an edition of The purple color by Alice Walker, published by The Folio Society in 2021.
Prizes were also awarded in the Illustrated Journalism and Student Illustration categories, with all winners, runners-up and highly commended entries featured in an exhibition at the V&A from July 20, alongside previous winners, to celebrate the 50th anniversary. prices.
Each category winner will receive £3,000 and the student runner-up will receive £2,000. The big winner of the 2023 competition, this year Du Bois, receives the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year award and receives an additional £5,000.
DuBois’ work will join the V&A’s permanent collections of illustrations, including works by renowned artists such as Aubrey Beardsley, Sir John Tenniel, EH Shepard, Quentin Blake and Posy Simmonds.