INTERNATIONAL JURY BIB 2019

Ali Boozari, Iran

He works as an assistant at the Department of Graphic Design and Illustration at University of Art in Teheran. He has published several articles in the field of book illustration in Iran. He works as an illustrator, his illustrations have been published in different countries and have received several prizes. He is a curator of more exhibitions focused on illustrations in different countries. He has actively taken part in several congresses focused on art and literature for children and has been a member of several international juries in competitions focused on illustration for children.

Desdemona McCannon, Great Britain

Since she finished her studies in 1991, she has been working on her dynamic and professional career as an illustrator, writer, curator and pedagogue. She works as an illustrator, graphic designer, publisher, curator and teacher for informal educational institutions.

Graça Lima, Brazil

She graduated at the Faculty of Fine Arts at University in Rio de Janeiro where she studied fine art and today she works there as a professor. As a theorist and researcher in the field of children´s book illustration she lectures and  organizes workshops in Brazil and abroad. She has illustrated more than one hundred books, from which twelve have been her author´s books. She has been awarded for her illustrations in Brazil and abroad.  

Akoss Ofori – Mensah, Ghana

She graduated from English at university in Ghana. Since 1976 she has been working in the field of publishing books and since 1993 she has owned her own publishing house that is focused on publishing books for children and young people. She has worked for the Association of Publishers in Ghana and in the years 2003-2005, as the only woman, she was its president. She actively works for  IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) and since 2016 she has been a part of its executive.  

Nor Emila Mohd Yusof, Malaysia

Emila is an illustrator, author and artist from Malaysia. Today she works as a Vice President of the Association of Picture Books in Malaysia. She has taken part in different exhibitions of illustrations for children not only in her homeland, but also internationally. Emila has also cooperated with the corporate clients such as Malaysia Airlines, Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Lufthansa and KLM. She has illustrated more than fifty books, some of them have been published and awarded in different countries.

Aleksejs Naumovs, Latvia

He is a professor at the Latvian Academy of Arts and since 2007 he has been working as its chancellor. He is active in the Latvian cultural field, he is a member of many competitive juries and curator of several exhibitions at home and abroad. He has written more theoretical works and at the same time he works as a painter and illustrator. For his illustration works he has received different awards, he has also been nominated for the IBBY award – IBBY Honour List.

Igor Olejnikov, Russia

After finishing his studies he was working as an engineer at the Institute of Chemical Engineering for three years. Then he started working in the animation studio Sojuzfilm first as an assistant and later as its art director. Since 1986 he has been working for book and magazine publishing houses in Moscow. He gave up working in the field of animation in 2008 and since then he has dedicated his work to illustration. He has been awarded by many awards for his works. The last important one was H.Ch.Andersen Award for illustration in 2018. 

Daniela Olejníková, Slovakia

She graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava and belongs to the most significant personalities of current Slovak book illustration. She studied at the Department of Printmaking and Other Media and this is the reason why experience with traditional art techniques like linocut and screen printing are recognizable in her works. She combines them with digital techniques where she uses all effects provided by this medium. The way how she connects graphic design and illustration breaks the traditional way of illustrating. She has received several awards – the last one was Golden Apple BIB 2017. Apart from illustration she also dedicates herself to work with free graphics.

Tatjana Pregl Kobe, Slovenia

She graduated from Comparative Literature and History at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. She is an art historian, critic, publicist, essayist, translator, poet and author. He has been a curator of several international exhibitions of art for children. She cooperates with galleries and is a member of Slovenian Association of Writers. 

Yuval Saar, Israel

Yuval Saar is a curator, designer, lecturer, manager and journalist. In 2014 he established the Week of Illustration in Tel Aviv and since then he has been working as its main curator and art director. He is also a curator of other exhibitions in different museums and galleries such as Design Museum (Holon), Museum of Islamic Art  (Jerusalem), Eretz Israel Museum (Tel Aviv), House of Artists (Tel Aviv), Hansen House (Jerusalem), Periscope Gallery (Tel Aviv). He works as an editor-in-chief and founder of the on-line design and art magazine Portfolio.

Zhigeng  Wang, China

He is a librarian in the National Library of China (NLC), director of NLC Children´s Library, member of the Chinese Committee for Children´s Literature, member of the Board of Directors of Chinese Librarians Association, coordinator of Association of Book Services - Children and Yound Adults. He has devoted himself to consulting and popularization of book services for children and young people and he has joined the research and commentary on picture books for children. He has translated many books for children from Japanese and English. He is a curator of exhibitions of books for children and a member of several juries judging books for children and young people.