Welcome to the World of Illustrator Maira Kalman

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Edith Sitwell, 2006
Edith Sitwell, 2006© Maira Kalman

We present 5 of our favourite images from the monograph of whimsical illustrator, writer and designer Maira Kalman, and speak exclusively to the artist who provides us with the story behind each...

The brilliantly whimsical works of illustrator, author and designer Maira Kalman have captured many imaginations throughout her varied career – from the admirers of her covers and columns for The New Yorker to the young readers of her numerous children's books. Her subjects span the past, the present and the purely fantastical, and are multifariously rendered as paintings, drawings, photographs, textiles, and embroidery pieces. But whatever her method or source of inspiration, Kalman's art always resonates with a colourful idiosyncrasy unique to its author.

This is particularly apparent in the Prestel monograph of her work which provides fascinating insight into Kalman's multifaceted approach through a wonderful array of images, alongside accompanying essays exploring the Tel Aviv born, New York based artist's great talent for "distilling the ordinary from the merely ordinary". Here, we present five of our favourite images from the book, and speak exclusively to Kalman who provides us with the story behind each.

(Above) Edith Sitwell, 2006: "Clearly I am drawn to eccentric, somewhat dotty, uninhibited women. She is larger than life with a larger than life nose."

Pina Bausch, 2004-5: "My attempts to meet the sublime Pina Bausch were in vain. There was no way she would let me dance with her troupe of course. This is the closest I could get. Her sharpness and sadness resonated through the air."

Aalto Vase With Poppies, 2008: "The Aalto vase is beloved. in any size. And poppies are beloved. There should always be flowers on the table. There almost always are."

Vita Sackville-West, 2007: "Sissinghurst, Vita's legendary garden in England, is one of my favorite places on earth. I have been many times walking through the white garden. Literature and land. She was bold."

Pink Dress, 2005: "This is the iconic dress that I see floating in front of me. It includes text from Dante's Inferno. Very poignant."

Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) is published by Prestel and is available now.

Text by Daisy Woodward