Oleksandra Hudkova
Illustration BA (Hons)
Arts University Bournemouth
Specialisms: Illustration / Printmaking /
Location: London, United Kingdom
Oleksandra Hudkova
First Name: Oleksandra
Last Name: Hudkova
Specialisms: Illustration / Printmaking
Sectors:
My Location: London, United Kingdom
University / College: Arts University Bournemouth
Course / Program Title: Illustration BA (Hons)
About
My journey as an illustrator and a picture book maker began with stories. Growing up in a small town in the east of Ukraine, I was surrounded by tales of the past, fables, and family adventures, which inspired me to become a storyteller myself.
Convinced I would be a fiction writer, I studied media editing and publishing at Taras Shevchenko’s National University of Kyiv. Halfway through my course, I discovered that illustrating became my passion and my desired career path.
In 2022, I had to leave my home and move to the UK. With Ukraine in my heart, I now live by the Dorset coast, where I continue my creative journey in my final year of BA in Illustration at Arts University Bournemouth.
In my work, I like to explore snapshots of human existence like dreams, memories, premonitions, traumas, often in absurd or surrealist ways. I’m interested in heritage, history, nature preservation and family relationships, which I explore in my children’s books. A big part of my practice is bringing art closer to people by designing public art, creating visual identity, or participating in art workshops.
When I’m not working, you can find me wandering in forests, crafting, learning languages or photographing the eerie rocking horses in antique shops.
Convinced I would be a fiction writer, I studied media editing and publishing at Taras Shevchenko’s National University of Kyiv. Halfway through my course, I discovered that illustrating became my passion and my desired career path.
In 2022, I had to leave my home and move to the UK. With Ukraine in my heart, I now live by the Dorset coast, where I continue my creative journey in my final year of BA in Illustration at Arts University Bournemouth.
In my work, I like to explore snapshots of human existence like dreams, memories, premonitions, traumas, often in absurd or surrealist ways. I’m interested in heritage, history, nature preservation and family relationships, which I explore in my children’s books. A big part of my practice is bringing art closer to people by designing public art, creating visual identity, or participating in art workshops.
When I’m not working, you can find me wandering in forests, crafting, learning languages or photographing the eerie rocking horses in antique shops.
A picture book made as a final major project for the BA in Illustration at the Arts University Bournemouth. It is intended for a 5-7-year-old audience, and it explores the ideas of family reunification, loneliness and obsession through a whimsical plot and dynamic illustrations. In the book, a boy loses his dad in a big house, only to rediscover him later, connecting over their shared interest in birds and helping him overcome his obsessions. The story is based on The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz and aims to subtly bring into focus the problem of reconnecting war veterans with their children. Three spreads were sent to the Pictoric Illustration Contest and were shortlisted in a Student Nomination. The printed book was exhibited at New Designers 2026 in London.
Competitions
