You won the Kate Greenaway Medal for Tales from the
Inner City, a book based around relationships between
humans and animals. How important is a solid concept?
Very important. To sustain my own interest throughout the
solo marathon that is book illustration, there needs to be a
driving sense of originality or strangeness at the heart of
an idea. A good idea is not enough. It has to also feel weird
and elusive, while dancing around some important truth.
Environmental issues weigh heavily in my mind, so this felt
like an outlet for that, as well as a driver for further research.
What comes first for you: the image or the idea?
Usually an image – a fuzzy mental one or a scruffy little
ballpoint pen doodle in a small sketchbook. Drawing is a
WINNER,KATE GREENAWAYMEDAL 2020
shaun tan
RIGHTShaun
Tanathisstudio
inMelbourne,
AustraliaBELOWShaunTan,
Moonfish, 2016