Anton Yakovlevich Lomaev

Russian • Born 1971

Anton Yakovlevich Lomaev is a contemporary Russian artist and illustrator celebrated internationally for his contributions to book art and narrative illustration. Born on March 13, 1971, in Vitebsk, Belarus, Lomaev showed early artistic talent and trained at the B.V. Ioganson Secondary Art School at the Repin Institute in Leningrad from 1982 to 1989. After serving in the army (1989–1991) and briefly working in Vitebsk as an artist and designer, he entered the Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in 1992. There he specialized in book graphics, studying under the renowned A.A. Pakhomov, and completed his training in 1998. He became a member of the Union of Artists of Russia in 2000.

Lomaev’s work spans printmaking, illustration, and graphic design, and he is widely known for his richly detailed, imaginative, and emotionally charged visual narratives. Since the mid-1990s, he has collaborated with major publishing houses, illustrating both classic and contemporary works. His art appears in editions of Moby Dick, Sherlock Holmes, The Little Mermaid, and many others published across Europe, Asia, and the United States. His illustrations combine technical mastery with theatrical composition, drawing the viewer into atmospheric worlds filled with symbolism, texture, and vivid character study.

Lomaev’s work has been exhibited internationally, including in Germany, Italy, England, and the United States. His artistic achievements have earned him numerous honors, including a prestigious stipend for his illustration work for a major German publishing house. He was awarded first prize in a major competition marking the 100-year anniversary editions of Vladimir Nabokov’s works. His accolades also include some of the highest awards in contemporary book art: the BIB Golden Apple Prize (Bratislava, 2019), an Honorary Diploma from the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY, 2018), the Prix l’Esprit de l’Engagement from the European Science Fiction Society (2015), and multiple awards from both the All-Russian Book Illustration Competition “Image of the Book” and the CIS International Competition “The Art of the Book.”

Today, Anton Lomaev is regarded as one of the leading illustrators of his generation. His work continues to inspire readers and collectors worldwide, ensuring the vitality and legacy of the illustrated book for future generations.