Olivia Lomenech Gill
Olivia Lomenech Gill is a British artist and illustrator whose work moves between drawing, printmaking, collage, and mixed media. Internationally known for her illustrations for J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, she was awarded the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration for Clever Crow. At Art San Gallery, collectors have the rare opportunity to acquire her original illustrations as unique artworks in their own right.
British artist and illustrator
Drawing, printmaking, collage, and mixed media
2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration for Clever Crow
Original illustrations available at Art San Gallery
Artistic Practice
Olivia Lomenech Gill has developed a visual language marked by close observation, tactile surfaces, and a strong material intelligence. Working across drawing, etching, collage, pastel, and mixed techniques, she creates images that feel both immediate and richly layered. Animals occupy a central place in her work, approached not only through natural observation but also through literature, imagination, and the long visual tradition of the bestiary. Her works carry a physical presence that places them beyond illustration alone, as images shaped by texture, atmosphere, and invention.
Original Illustrations at Art San Gallery
Art San Gallery presents the unique original large-format illustrations created by Olivia Lomenech Gill for Clever Crow. Far from being reproductions, these one-of-a-kind works reveal her distinctive use of line, texture, and mixed media in their full material presence. Presented as artworks in their own right, they give direct access to the visual language of Clever Crow at its source.
Biography
Born in Cambridge in 1974, Olivia Lomenech Gill spent part of her childhood in Northumberland, close to the Scottish border. After initially studying drama at the University of Hull, she went on to complete a Master’s degree in engraving at the esteemed Camberwell College of Arts in London, deepening her engagement with printmaking and expanding her approach across multiple forms of artistic expression. For those familiar with Olivia Lomenech Gill, it is striking to see how her distinctive visual language has remained a constant presence from the beginning, both in her work and in her way of being.
A significant turning point came in 2012 with her first professional illustration commission, Where My Wellies Take Me, a book by Michael and Clare Morpurgo. This project not only brought her work to wider attention, but also received critical recognition: the book was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and won the English Association Picture Book Award.
In 2019, Olivia Lomenech Gill moved with her family to Brittany, France, where she established a new studio and continued to expand her practice. In 2022 and 2023, she exhibited part of her extensive body of work inspired by medieval bestiaries at the Scriptorial in Avranches, where the manuscripts of Mont-Saint-Michel are held, and at the Château de la Roche-Jagu in Brittany. Alongside these exhibitions, she has given talks on her artistic journey and continues to lead workshops.
Frequently Asked Questions about Olivia Lomenech Gill
Who is Olivia Lomenech Gill?
Olivia Lomenech Gill is a British artist and illustrator, internationally recognized for her work in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling. She works with etching, mixed media, and large-scale drawings, often inspired by literature, animals, and natural landscapes.
Where can I buy original illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill?
You can find original illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill at Art San Gallery, including exclusive one-of-a-kind pieces from Clever Crow and other literary projects. All artworks are available for purchase online or by contacting us directly.
Has Olivia Lomenech Gill won any major awards?
Yes, Olivia Lomenech Gill was awarded the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration for her powerful and poetic illustrations in Clever Crow by Chris Butterworth. The Carnegie Medal is one of the UK’s highest honors in children’s book illustration.
What is unique about Olivia Lomenech Gill’s artistic style?
Her art merges printmaking, drawing, and collage, creating works with deep emotional tone and tactile texture. She often reflects on the relationship between text and image, rendering each project with intensity and artistic freedom.
