Jenny Lucander

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Instagram: @jennylucander

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Picture book artist and illustrator based in Helsinki, Finland.

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Published children's books

Yön äänet (poems by Kirsi Kunnas), 2024 for WSOY publishing company, Finland.

Fjärilarnas rekordbok (text Katja Bargum), 2024 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Hvem bestemmer noget? (text Jesper Wung-Sung), 2023 for Gyldendal publishing company, Denmark and Vad bestämmer jag? in Swedish for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Freja och huggormen (text Fredrik Sonck), 2023 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Myrornas rekordbok (text Katja Bargum), 2022 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

När farmor flög (text Annika Sandelin), 2022 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Fakta om pappor (text Oskar Kroon), 2021 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Freja och kråkungen (text Fredrik Sonck), 2020 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Min svarta hund (text Sanna Tahvanainen), 2020 for Schildts & Söderströms publishing company, Finland.

Kaksi kotia (text Riina Katajavuori), 2020 for Tammi publishing company, Finland.

Lita på mig (text Monica Vikström-Jokela), 2019 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Vi är lajon! (text Jens Mattsson), 2019 for Natur & Kultur in Sweden and Förlaget in Finland.

Grobblechops (text Elizabeth Laird), 2019 for Tiny Owl publishing company, UK

När vi blev vuxna (text Minna Lindeberg), 2018 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Snön över Azharia (text Minna Lindeberg), 2017 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Vildare, värre, Smilodon (text Minna Lindeberg), 2016 for Förlaget publishing company, Finland.

Dröm om drakar (text Sanna Tahvanainen), 2015 for Schildts&Söderströms publishing company in Finland.

Flickan som blev v-arg (text Sofia Hedman) for Vombat publishing company, Sweden (2014)

Singer (text Katarina von Numers-Ekman) for Schildts&Söderströms publishing company, Finland (2012)

Prizes and nominations

Nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2025! https://alma.se/en/
Freja och huggormen was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2024.
Fakta om pappor nominated for the Rudolf Koivu 2023 award. “Beautiful and exquisite drawings and skilful use of colours.” https://grafia.fi/ajankohtaista/rudolf-koivu-2023-palkintoehdokkaat/
Nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2024! https://alma.se/en/
När farmor flög was nominated for the Runeberg junior prize in 2023.
Nominated for the Finlandia prize with the book Myrornas rekordbok / Muurahaisten ennätyskirja 2022. https://kirjasaatio.fi/finlandia/lasten-ja-nuortenkirjallisuuden-finlandia
Nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2023! https://alma.se/en/
Fakta om pappor nominated for the Most Beautiful Book 2021.
Nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2022! https://alma.se/en/
Vi är lajon! WON the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2020.
A prize by the Swedish Literature Association of Finland in 2020 for Vi är lajon!
The Punni diploma by The Finnish Institute for Children’s Literature in 2020 for Vi är lajon!
Vi är lajon! was nominated for the Elsa Beskow plaque for the best illustrated picture book 2020.
Vildare, värre, Smilodon was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2017.
Vildare, värre, Smilodon was nominated for the Runeberg Junior prize in 2016.
Vildare, värre, Smilodon was shortlisted for the Rudolf Koivu prize 2017.
Dröm om drakar was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2016.

Education, work and memberships

I studied Children's book illustration and creation at the university of Gothenburg, The School of Design and Crafts (HDK) 2010-2011. During the year 2013 I studied storytelling at the same school. Before this I also got myself a Master of Social Sciences degree and a bachelor's degree in social psyochology.

My mother tongue is Swedish, I speak Finnish and English fluently and if I'm having a good language day I might want to try my rusty French.

I am a member of The illustrators in Finland (Kuvittajat ry) and The newborn organization Fibul rf, (Författare och illustratörer av barn- och ungdomslitteratur, Authors and illustrators of literature for children and teenagers in Swedish)

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Making art, making illustrations, is a way of communicating with the world. Depending on how I decide to portray our environment, the characters, their reactions and feelings in my children’s books, I communicate messages that either cement or shake the existing norms and stereotypes of our society. Having this kind of power thrills me, but at the same time I’m aware that the privilege this enables is accompanied by great responsibility. I am confronted with big questions every day. I feel that we have the obligation to stay critical and constantly work towards a better and more humane society. This is the most exiting part of being an artist.
I enjoy exploring the big questions we struggle with during childhood. Difficult feelings of identity and belonging, as well as joyful feelings of happiness, freedom and play. In creating my illustrations I try not to be too rigid, and instead to be more free and wild. A thin sensitive line characterizes my illustrations, and I tend to use many different materials in my collages. I seldom have a clear plan of what the outcome should look like. It feels like solving crosswords without definite answers, like trial and error. Sometimes the mistakes are the most beautiful part of the picture. Serendipity gives me wonderful kicks.

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J e n n y