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Ulla Saar

Biography

Ulla Saar (1975) is an illustrator and graphic artist. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in product design. Her first illustrated book Lift achieved immediate widespread recognition and was listed in the 2014 White Ravens catalogue. Since then, every one of her books has received international attention. Saar practices a contemporary, design-like approach to book illustration: her spirited and playful art is often more a part of the work’s overall design than free-standing pictures.

I started illustrating books from about the age of three, when many of my children’s books at home acquired new designs, mostly in a rather abstract form. A short break happened in the meantime, during which I dreamed about becoming a geologist, instead. Back then, one of my favorite books was Anatoly Chlenov’s Geology in Pictures – inspired by it, I started putting together my own personal rock collection. Over time, it became clear the field didn’t suit me, and I turned back to art.

I try to proceed more from context in my works – whether it is some fragment of text that has been haunting me, a text I am presently illustrating, or else something that eludes me at first and demands more concentration from the viewer, hopefully resulting in questions and motivating me to seek answers.

Pencils and I have a long history together that may contain blood, sweat, and tears, but we’ve come a long way and we know each other through and through. By now, we get along swimmingly. When I work on a book, I try to proceed from the text and catch the tone of it in my drawings; to support and elevate it rather than compete with it. That’s why all the books I’ve illustrated look different – to me, a technique is just a tool that I execute to create a good book.

Profile photo: Piia Ruber

Vainola, Kätlin. LIFT, Pegasus, 2013, ink, digital treatmentGrigori Oster. Mischievous Mathematics, Varrak, 2015, coloured pencil, acrylicKairi Look. Piia Biscuit Moves In, Tänapäev, 2015, watercolour, collageKadri Hinrikus. Sandra’s 12 Months, Tammerraamat, 2016, acrylic, lead pencilIndrek Koff. Nice, Härra Tee ja Proua Kohvi, 2016, lead pencil, digital colouringKätlin Vainola. The Boy Who Drew Maps, Pegasus, 2017, lead pencil, digital treatmentHelvi Jürisson. What Letters Say, Menu, 2018, digital drawingHelvi Jürisson. What Letters Say, Menu, 2018, digital drawingNorton Juster. The Phantom Tollbooth, Draakon & Kuu, 2018, digital drawingNorton Juster. The Phantom Tollbooth, Draakon & Kuu, 2018, digital drawingKristi Piiper. The Lovesick Basement Monster, the Vegan Blood Sausage, and Other Stories, Tänapäev, 2019, digital drawingKairi Look. Piia Biscuit and the Bandits, Tänapäev, 2019, digital drawingKairi Look. Piia Biscuit and the Bandits, Tänapäev, 2019, digital drawingHeikki Niska. Fussy Hörvelös, Enostone, 2020, digital drawingUrmas Reinmaa. Where Did You Find It From?, Päike ja Pilv, 2020, digital drawingUrmas Reinmaa. Where Did You Find It From?, Päike ja Pilv, 2020, digital drawing

School Rebels

Ester Urbala

Puänt
2025, 192 pp
ISBN: 9789916934609
storybook, fiction

Ita and Squeak

Koolibri
2024, 24 pp
ISBN: 9789985054956
picturebook, fiction

Sweets Sciences

Grigori Oster

Translator: Ilona Martson
Varrak
2020, 95 pp
ISBN: 9789985349663
fiction, storybook

What Letters Say

Helvi Jürisson

Menu Meedia
2018, 184 pp
ISBN: 9789949549801
fiction, storybook, poetry

Nice

Indrek Koff

Härra Tee & proua Kohvi
2016, 54 pp
ISBN: 9789949388592
fiction, picturebook

Mischievous Mathematics

Grigori Oster

Translator: Ilona Martson
Varrak
2015, 107 pp
ISBN: 9789985335611
non-fiction, storybook
logo-print

For more information or copyrights, please contact ulla.saar@elk.ee