Looking at offline and online media it seems that illustration is more popular the ever. A great example of this trend is the work of Austrian illustrator Nanna Prieler. Her beautiful illustrations adorn children books, ebooks, magazines, blogs and even chocolate bars. In our interview the young artist told us about her passion for illustration and food, her style, her dreams for the future and what she loves about living in Vienna.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and describe what you do?
Hi, my name is Nanna and I’m currently living in Vienna which I really enjoy. I’m working as an Illustration and Graphic Designer which is exactly what I always wanted to do. At night I dream about ponies and rainbows.
When did you decide to become an illustrator?
I realised at an early stage that I need a job without regular working hours. Sometimes I just want to stay up all night and sleep in the next day. As an independent illustrator and graphic designer I’m able to work on projects on my own schedule. I love to drift through the day and to use unexpected opportunities. Early illustration was my greatest passion… and moreover it’s the only thing I’m able to do. For everything else I’m useless 😉
Cover illustrations for e-books Prozentrechnen and Männerjagd im Grossstad
How would you describe your style, what inspires you?
My style represents my personality. I see things very straight forward in a simple way. My work is quite similar, reduced to the minimum. I find my inspirations in modern platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram and so on. But my main inspiration I get from colour combinations. That’s the reason why I’m collecting all kind of materials and papers, my flat is full of it.
Illustrated map of Vienna
What role does paper play in your work?
Definitely a very important one. There is nothing better than producing my illustrations as screen prints. The minimalistic style is perfect for this kind of printing. It’s great fun to try new types of paper and carton. Sometimes things go wrong, but often the result is surprisingly nice.
Illustration of Nanna’s most favourite recipe for the French wild & lifestyle Blog Les Others
You illustrated several books. What kind of book do you dream to illustrate?
I’ve been working on a new children’s book for about a year now which is written and illustrated by myself. A project like that takes a lot of time, I spent many evenings in front of my computer. My dream is that this book will be finished soon and maybe it will be published someday. We’ll see…
Do you have any favourite illustrators?
Sure! I adore Olimpia Zagnoli for example JooHee Yoon is amazing as well.
Illustration for a Zotter Käseschokolade packaging
What do you like about your city? Is Vienna a creative hub?
I’m in love with Vienna. You get a whole range of nice restaurants, coffee shops and especially bars. All of them are creative places. There are always openings and parties which are a lot of fun. But for me it’s the best place to be because of all the different people I’ve met here. The city is quite small so you always meet the same people which I really enjoy. It’s not only a beautiful city with it’s old architecture and green areas, it’s also very vibrant. I have the feeling Vienna is getting more and more creative and nothing can stop it 🙂
Illustration about the forgotten writing times
You do many culinary illustrations. What is your favorite dish?
Yes, I LOVE to eat and cook. Yummy food makes every day a good day. So illustrating it is some kind of passion. My favourite meal is a classic one: PIZZA.
Illustration: Cute friends for a Sunday walk.
Plans, hopes and dreams for the future?
I hope that I can eat pizza tomorrow 😉 No, what I really hope is that the future will bring me loads of exciting projects. I’m always looking for new challenges. I recently set up a shop on my website where you can buy special cards and screen printings. It’s really exciting to start projects like that, hopefully I won’t stop trying crazy things like that in the future.
Nanna Prieler
If you are interested to learn more about NANNA and her work, check out her website and facebook page or swing by her webshop to buy beautifully illustrated silkscreen prints and greeting cards.
Thank you very much for the interview!
Photos via NANNA