VANDA ČIŽMEK is a renowned Croatian illustrator. She was born in 1974 in Zagreb—just eight days before Christmas. She began drawing in diapers, continued at the School of Applied Arts, and later studied at the Faculty of Graphic Arts. In recent years, she has focused on illustrating books for children and young adults, while also working as a graphic designer. Her works have been exhibited in numerous national and international exhibitions and have received several prestigious awards. In 2018, she won the Grigor Vitez Award—the most important Croatian award for literary and artistic achievements in children’s literature—for her illustrations in the picture book Catch Me a Blue Bear, which is also available in Slovenian. In 2019, she received the award for Best Book Illustration at the Illustration Festival in Belgrade.
P.S. She’s probably drawing something right this moment.