Windows into illustration: Kristjana S Williams
Kristjana S Williams studied graphic design and illustration at Central St Martins and quickly gained a reputation creating fine art pieces, art prints and furniture. She mixes fragments of Victorian engravings with contemporary illustration and colouring. Here she explains how growing up in Iceland influences her illustrations for The Wonder Garden.
G
rowing up, I was really fascinated with the Icelandic landscape. I was surrounded by books, and my mum and great uncle would tell us a lot of stories. All of the stories were essentially about Icelandic nature – if you look deeply into any Icelandic story, everything is shaped by the weather and landscape.
When I look at the images I make now, they are inspired by the stark landscape in Iceland, of black and white – the black sandy beaches and the white frozen ice and snow, and the sea which freezes over. In Iceland, nature is in charge! It’s brilliant and overpowering – you’re very much put in your place by nature there. So I feel like the foundation of how everything comes together with my work is to bring in the black and white of the engravings, and add in the colour and detail.
Essentially all my work is made from old Victorian engravings, which I take in and rework. I scan it in, and do all the colour treatments – I might change the fur or the eyes of an animal, its placement, or sometimes I might create new creatures out of old ones. All the different engravings I found came from different periods, and so I had to treat them all to find a way to make them work harmoniously together.
When I create a scene, I’m actually taking different landscapes apart and it’s slightly theatrical, creating a whole new landscape from 12 or 15 different plates. I have to make the grounds blend seamlessly together to create depth, as though
6 Books for Keeps No.214 September 2015
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