Anja is a slavic illustrator from coastal Croatia, where she runs a one-woman illustration studio called The Drawing Fish.
She graduated from University of the Arts London, Camberwell College in 2016, with an MA in illustration. She mostly works in children’s publishing and editorial illustration and has illustrated 9 books for children so far, both fiction and non-fiction.
Her work tends to be quite conceptual in both theme and composition, with a lot of bold colours and black lines. Anja is very detail-oriented in her work and draws a lot of inspiration from nature and folklore, having illustrated books in both subjects. She is interested in whimsical characters and peculiar stories, especially slavic lore.
She is represented by INKLING Illustration Agency.
PUBLICATIONS
Nature Tales, Templar Books, 2024
Curious Creatures Talking Together, Flying Eye Books, 2023
Sky Explorer, Nosy Crow & The National Trust, 2023
Ancient Egyptians, Ladybird Books, 2022
Curious Creatures Working with Tools, Flying Eye Books, 2022
Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark, Flying Eye Books, 2021
The Secret Lives of Mermaids, Flying Eye Books, 2020
SELECTED CLIENTS
Huffpost / Harvard Business Review / Rebel Girls / Magic Cat / DK / Flying Eye Books / Templar Books / Penguin Random House – Ladybird Books / Nosy Crow / Chief Investment Officer – Plansponsor – Planadviser / Le Monde Diplomatique / University of the Arts London / Apollo Magazine / Bruketa&Zinic&Grey / Agency 404 / Oh! Magazine / Compound Butter Magazine / The Scouts Magazine
SELECETD AWARDS/EXHIBITIONS
Bologna Children’s Book Fair Finalist 2025
Pan MacMillan – Bright Young Things 2017
Derwent Art Prize 2016
3×3 Magazine – 13th International Illustration Student Show
Penguin Design Awards 2016 – highly commended
Monologue . Dialogue 2017 – illustration exhibition in Hangzhou, China
Betweens 2018 – illustration exhibition in Beijing, China
Victionary Dark Inspirations II 2016