Jump to main content

Anne Linnamägi

Biography

Anne Linnamägi (1966) is an illustrator and graphic designer. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts as a graphic artist and worked afterwards at the publisher Avita. Linnamägi has illustrated several textbooks and close to 15 children’s books, and has designed a total of more than 200 works. Her illustrations charm readers with their soft colour palettes and gentle mood. Anne Linnamägi is a member of the Estonian Graphic Designers Association and the Estonian Section of IBBY. Her works are held in the collections of the Estonian National Library and the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember what I imagined someday doing when I was very young. Once I was a little older, I wanted to become a stewardess, and a shortly after that, a surgeon. The idea of being an artist came during my last year of high school. I enjoyed drawing and was even in an art club. After finishing high school, I enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts with the dream of illustrating children’s books. After graduating from the Academy, I was hired by a publisher and started illustrating my first works.

Profile photo: Piia Ruber

Mathematics Workbook for 1st Grade. Part II, Avita, 2000, watercolour, pencilEllen Niit. The Story of the Bunny Who Didn’t Want to Fall Asleep, Tiritamm, 2007, watercolour, pencilOnce Upon a Time…. French Fairytale The Princess With a Long Nose, Avita, 2008, watercolour, pencilFr. R. Kreutzwald. Lopi and Lapi, signature story, 2008, watercolour, pencilAimée Beekman. The Dream Lion, TEA, 2010, watercolour, pencilLeelo Tungal. The Santa Claus Who Was Afraid of Kids, Tammerraamat, 2010, watercolour, pencilLeelo Tungal. The Santa Claus Who Was Afraid of Kids, Tammerraamat, 2010, watercolour, pencilFairytale by Péter Demény, The Helping Winter, 2012, watercolour, pencilTriin Soomets. The Dream Train, Päike ja Pilv, 2013, coloured pencilTriin Soomets. The Dream Train, Päike ja Pilv, 2013, watercolour, lead pencilHeljo Mänd. Little Lazy and Big Lazy, Tammerraamat, 2014, coloured pencilHeljo Mänd. Little Lazy and Big Lazy, Tammerraamat, 2014, coloured pencilTriin Soomets. „The Dream Train”, 2013, coloured pencilTriin Soomets. The Dream Train, 2013, coloured pencilHeljo Mänd. Little Lazy and Big Lazy, 2014, coloured pencil

A Tiny Tree

Eesti Lastekirjanduse Keskus
2019, 79 pp
ISBN: 9789949995240
fiction, storybook, poetry, picturebook

The Dream Train

Triin Soomets

Päike ja Pilv
2013, 32 pp
ISBN: 9789949947034
fiction, poetry, songs

Puffball Paul

Lea Nurkse

Kupar
2011, 28 pp
ISBN: 9789949482252
fiction, poetry, picturebook

Puppy in the Pocket

Heljo Mänd

TEA Kirjastus
2010, 55 pp
ISBN: 9789949240036
fiction, storybook, picturebook

The Dream Lion

Aimée Beekman

TEA Kirjastus
2010, 40 pp
ISBN: 9789985719312
fiction, storybook

Lopi and Lapi

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald

Illustrator: Kadri Ilves etc...
Tänapäev
2008, 172 pp
ISBN: 9789985627198
fiction, storybook
2018
International Illustration and Book Design Competition  ‘Image of the Book’, Moscow, diploma (Triin Soomets. The Dream Train)
5 Best-Designed Estonian Children’s Books, special prize of the Jury for charming and picturesque watercolour technique (Liis Sein. The Raincloud’s Greatest Wish)

2017
5 Best Designed Estonian Children’s Books, Certificate of Merit (Jaanus Vaiksoo. Three Autumns)
The Knee-High Book Competition, Honourable Mention for illustrations (Liis Sein. The Raincloud’s Greatest Wish)

2016
IBBY Honour List (Triin Soomets. The Dream Train)

2014
25 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit

2013
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, Certificate of Merit (Triin Soomets. The Dream Train; Birthday Stories)

2009
5 Best Designed Estonian Children’s Books, Special prize of the Estonian Children's Literature Centre (The Golden Book of Estonian Fairy Tales)

2008
Raisin of the Year Award (Once Upon a Time...)
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, Special prize of Estonian Graphic Designers’ Union (Once Upon a Time...), Special prize of the Estonian Children's Literature Centre (F. R. Kreutzwald. Lopi and Lapi)

2006
25 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (The Big Book of Fables)
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, Certificate of Merit

2003
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Diploma
25 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit

2001
Karl Eduard Sööt Children’s Poetry Award (Henno Käo. The Spirit’s Flat)
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, Certificate of Merit (Henno Käo. The Spirit’s Flat)

2000
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, 4 Certificates of Merit (Design of the Cardboard Book series and other books)

1999
25 Best Designed Estonian Books, 2 Certificates of Merit
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, Certificate of Merit

1998
25 Best Designed Estonian Books, 2 Certificates of Merit
5 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, 2 Certificates of Merit (Riina Paatsi. The Letter Book)
Selected exhibitions:

2023
International exhibition of illustration "Fox Spirit. Fox Charm", Nadbałtyckie Centrum Kultury, Poland
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "Fresh Book Pictures", Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tapa Library, Kärdla Library

2022
International exhibition of illustration "Fox Spirit. Fox Charm", Estonian Children's Literature Centre, Estonian National Museum, Latvian National Library
Exhibition of Baltic illustrators "Running with Wolves. Werewolf", Italy and Latvia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "It's Christmas time", Estonian Children’s Literature Centre

2021
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "Secret Lives III", Szcsechin, Gdańsk, Poland; Kondas Centre, Viljandi, Estonia; Estonian National Museum, Tartu
Group exhibition of Estonian illustrators "Leafing Through Estonian Children's Books IV", Moscow
TIT 2020 & "Leafing Through Estonian Children's Books IV", Mytishchi, Russia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "Fox Spirit. Fox Charm", Estonian Children's Literature Centre, Central Library of Lääne County, Haapsalu
Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Tapa Public Library"Children's Books' Illustrations from Estonian artists", Kehra, Estonia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "From the Mountains to the Sea", Central Library of Lääne County, Haapsalu
Group exhibition of Estonian artists "Christmas Tale", Syktyvkar, Komi Republic

2020
Group exhibition of Estonian illustrators “Leafing Through Estonian Children’s Books III”, Moscow, Russia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "From the Mountains to the Sea", Central Library of Saare County
"Picture World of Tales and Fairy Tales", Central Library of Lääne County
Midsummer spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Children's Literature Centre

2019
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia
Spring exhibition, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators “From the Mountains to the Sea”, Kraków, Rabka-Zdrój, Elbląg, Poland

2018–2021
Exhibition of Baltic illustrators “Running with Wolves”, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Białystok, Warsaw, Płock, Szczecin, Poland; Pordenone, Italy; Vilnius, Lithuania; Napoli, Rome, Frigento, Italy

2018–2019
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators “Running with Wolves”, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn

2018
Exhibition of Estonian Illustrators, “Running With Wolves”, Estonian Children's Literature Centre

2017
Anne Linnamägi's and Catherine Zarip's jubilee exhibition "The Century", Tapa City Library
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Estonia
Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators “A Window into the Fairy Tale World”, Haapsalu Cultural Centre, Haapsalu Children’s Library
Group exhibition of Estonian illustrators “Leafing Through Estonian Children’s Books I”, Moscow, Kolomna, Russia

2016
Anne Linnamägi's and Catherine Zarip's jubilee exhibition "The Century", Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn
Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre

2015–2020

International illustration exhibition, “It’s Always Tea-Time”, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn; Riga, Latvia; Uusikaupunki, Finland; Gdansk, Wrocław, Toruń, Elbląg, Poland; Berlin, Germany; Szczecin, Płock, Poland; Budapest, Hungary; Oxford, the United Kingdom; Moscow, Krasnoarmeysk, Mytishchi, Vyborg, St. Petesburg, Russia; Kondas Centre, Viljandi.

2015–2019
Exhibition of Estonian Illustrators, “Once Upon a Time...” (Grimm’s Fairy Tales), Aosta, Anagni, Lagonegro, Bernalda-Metaponto, Corato, Matera, Roma, Lacco Ameno, Irsina, Siracusa, Sassari, Roma, Bologna, Italy; Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn; Minsk, Belarus; Kraków, Łomża, Białystok, Szczecin, Płock, Warszaw, Elbląg, Gdańsk, Opole, Poland

2015–2016
Travelling exhibition, “Made with the Heart. Estonian Children’s Book Illustration”, Moscow, Krasnoarmeysk, Cheboksary, Russia

2013–2015
Exhibition by Estonian and Hungarian Illustrators, “Crisscross Stories”, Estonia, Hungary, the United Kingdom

2014
Solo exhibition "Unerong" Haapsalu, Tallinn, Kiili, Jüri, Saue, Estonia

2013
Travelling exhibition of Estonian illustration, “Etelästä tuulee – Lõunatuul puhub” (The South Wind Blows), Finland

2011
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia

2011–2018

Exhibition of artists from the Baltic Sea countries, “Sea Fairy Tales”, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Estonia

2010–2011
Travelling Exhibition of Estonian Book Illustration, Russia, Finland

2009
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Estonia

2006
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Estonia

2003

Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Estonia