Sri Lankan illustrator Sam Weerawardane longlisted at World Illustration Awards

Sri Lankan illustrator, writer and teacher, Sam Weerawardane has been announced on the longlist by a panel of judges at the World Illustration Awards 2024 (WIA). The annual WIA is a global celebration of illustration and showcases the tremendous talent of international artists with diverse views and experiences.

Selected amongst over 5,000 entries submitted globally, Sam’s longlisted work is a book titled “Jungle of the Jungle”, picture book about a street dog that comes into a young scout’s life, and the heartwarming bond that forms quickly, changing the scout’s perception of the world and himself. 

“I’m so humbled that my work is featured at the WIA 2024 longlist under the Book Covers category, and that it resonated with the panel of judges,” said Sam. “I wanted the story and my work to foster a love of dogs in kids by looking at how humans, animals and nature are all connected.”

The care of street dogs is nothing new to Sam, having cared for many of them over the years. “I love dogs, but the wider discussion concerns empathy within ourselves and the wider community,” she says.

The book has been longlisted in the Book Covers category at the WIA 2024 – eligible to published and unpublished cover artwork for books for readers of any age. This category includes whole cover artwork made for children’s books, self-published books, and books for a general readership.

The creation of “Jungle of the Jungle” was boosted by observational sketches of jungle trees done using watercolours and featured a mix of textures and techniques including cutting, colouring, final layout, typography, and the illustration of Jungle the dog on Procreate. Sam further details, “I prefer starting illustrations on traditional media as it captures a certain spontaneity, and then finessing them digitally”.

Sam’s decision to enter her book followed advice from fellow illustration students. “I decided to enter after hearing about the competition through other students on my Master of Arts course. There are so many talented illustrators with interesting ideas in Sri Lanka, and I hope they too look for opportunities like the WIA to boost their creative profile.”

The World Illustration Awards is a global celebration of illustration. The awards are independently judged and feature artwork from international artists with diverse views and experiences.

Sam is a Sri Lankan illustrator who loves making visuals for young audiences, especially picture books and comics. Her favourite things to draw are dogs, plants, and people. She has a BA in graphic design and has just completed an MA illustration at Falmouth University. She is new to the publishing industry and hopes to make great strides soon. She is also a passionate advocate for greater empathy towards street dogs in Sri Lanka and the adoption of more impactful animal welfare laws.