We’re spotlighting our Exploration Shortlist, celebrating experimental pieces that push the boundaries of illustration.
Image Credit: Byeongjin Kim
We love how our Exploration category Shortlist is an opportunity for illustrators to explore dynamic styles and new mediums!
Celebrating self-initiated work and experimental pieces that push the boundaries of illustration. Our Exploration category is an opportunity for illustrators to dive into new avenues and diversify their practice.
This year’s category includes unusual materials, use of scale, and experiments in technique, process and ideas. Explore our exceptional 2025 Shortlist highlights, including thoughts from this year’s judges below.
Mustaali Raj –
Journey of the Birds
Professional
Inspired by Attar’s “Conference of the birds” the 12th century poem.
Each bird represents a corresponding human trait that often holds us back from reaching our full potential.
Illustrating powerful visual metaphors of human struggle to unpack our understanding of our own identify through a search for self — a core aspect of self-reflection during the 30 Days of Ramadan.
View the Full Project Here
What Our Jury Says
I love the unique pixelated style, color palette, and the concept in general. Extremely clever!
Claire Astrow
Editorial & Marketing Manager, Illustoria Magazine
Odsanyu – Cycles
New Talent
A self-initiated, surreal project created as a part of a painting class at university.
Odsanyu wanted to focus on symbolism and the different ways universal feelings and concepts are interpreted.
The dream like illustrations showcase an incredible use of detail, with hidden motifs and symbols, highlighting the metaphors.
View the Full Project Here
What Our Jury Says
I love the vernacular line, the drawing that seems to take shape before my eyes. Above all, I love the dreamlike world that links all the works.
Aurélien Jeanney
Art director and illustrator at Maison Tangible
Byeongjin Kim – 64 Scenery of Seoul
Professional
This visually rich illustration depicts the many different neighborhood’s Byeongjin calls home. Inspired by life in Seoul, the project illustrates a a harmonious single, continuous space that defies the actual geographic distances between them.
Selected locations are each rendered to scale within uniform square frames, reminiscent of precisely sliced pieces of cake. Created using analogue techniques, pen on paper, before scanning the drawings using Photoshop to refine and edit the composition. Byeongjin plans to present final artwork on a single, large-scale poster.
View The Full Project Here
What Our Jury Says
I love the detail of each section. I can’t wait to see it in a large scale poster. Great work!
Risa Nakazawa
Founder, The Bee’s Knees inc / A-gent Tokyo
EL BOUM – The Undocumented Archive of Queer Craftsmanship
Professional
Created as part of a Masters Degree at Kunsthochschule Weissensee in Berlin. The triptych highlights the erasure of queer identities in German carpentry history.
Currently exhibited at Malerladen, a flinta led construction store, in Berlin. The project shines a light on this forgotten history, using bold colours and an imposing scale to demand attention.
View the Full Project Here
Maya Lerner – Impure Vessels
New Talent
This illustrative series of clay vessels, exploring how women are portrayed in Oral Torah literature.
The project aims to showcase the complex realities women face today by interweaving these with ancient texts.
The piece combines bright colours, dynamic compositions and even dark humour to create a bold impactful series.
View the Full Project Here
Vivi John – Grandpa’s Bento Shop
New Talent
This beautifully personal illustration inspired by memories growing up visiting their grandpa’s bento shop, perfectly childhood nostalgia with a warm colour palette and narrative storytelling.
Illustrating the small unsung moments, the illustration was later gifted to their grandma. Created using risograph to add to the nostalgic feeling.
View The Full Project Here
What Our Jury Says
The limited colour she is using is very nice and also any banal images of our daily life can sometimes be such precious moments and the artist has realised that well.
Risa NakazawaRisa Nakazawa
Founder, The Bee’s Knees inc / A-gent Tokyo
Illustrator Interviews
We’ve also been asking some more of our amazing shortlisted illustrators about their practice and their shortlisted projects.
Sophie Donaj
Shortlisted in our Professional Exploration Category for their project – Everyday Life
What’s your favourite thing about your shortlisted project?
I had a lot of fun creating the 3D items. Every object involved multiple steps: designing, modeling, and illustrating additional 2D graphics. It was a great opportunity to grow my skill set!
Dani Torrent
Shortlisted in our Professional Exploration Category for their project – My Best Friend
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
You should never loose the joy of drawing for yourself!
Be sure to check out all of the Meet the Illustrator Interviews!
If you enjoyed reading this curated list, be sure to keep explore the rest of the WIA2025 Shortlist. We will be adding new materials over the next few months.
Stay up to date with the latest news on the World Illustration Awards by signing up to our mailing list!
