INFO
| Name | Vasanti Unka (she/her) |
| Born | 1960 |
| Country of Birth | Aotearoa |
| Place of Residence | Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland |
| Ethnicities | Indian |
| Artform | Visual arts, Literature |
| Decades Active | 2000s, 2010s, 2020s |
ABOUT
Vasanti Unka is an illustrator, writer and graphic designer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Her work is mostly focused on picture books and is recognisable through her use of bright colours and textures created using watercolour, pencil and digital media.
In 2021, Unka was named an Arts Foundation Laureate. The selection panel described her as a brilliant storyteller and “one of Aotearoa’s best illustrators, creating distinctive and immersive worlds that inspire imagination”.
Unka has been a graphic designer in the New Zealand magazine industry, working as an art director for More and later as a freelance illustrator for titles including Cuisine, Canvas and Little Treasures. Her two children, Ahnand and Suren, are now both creatives too.
She says she became an illustrator by accident when her sister’s friend asked her to illustrate a preschool children’s book, which led to more. Since then, Unka has illustrated and written her own books. She has also written and illustrated two books of stitchcraft: Weird Wabbit & Friends (Penguin NZ, 2010) a book of felt animal designs, and Starboy & Friends (Penguin NZ, 2010) a book of patterns for soft toys and puppets made from socks and gloves.
In 2016, she compiled With a Suitcase of Saris: From India to Aotearoa: Stories of Pioneer Indian Women. Unka grew up on Pukekohe Hill, where she worked in her parents’ market garden as a child, and is currently working on a book about growing up as an Indian in Aotearoa.
Unka holds a Master of Design and in 2022 completed a Master of Creative Writing with first-class honours.
LINKS
Key works / presentations
2020 — I Am the Universe
2018 — Who Stole the Rainbow?
2016 — With a Suitcase of Saris: From India to Aotearoa: Stories of Pioneer Indian Women
2016 — Spots Or Stripes?
2015 — Stripes! No, Spots!
2013 — The Boring Book
2010 — Hill & Hole (illustrator)
Key awards
2021 — Arts Foundation Laureate, receiving the Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award
2021 — PANZ Book Design Awards: Best Children’s Book (I Am the Universe)
2021 — NZ Booklovers: Best Children’s Book (I Am the Universe)
2021 — NZSA Heritage Book Awards: Best Children’s Book (I Am the Universe)
2016 — Storylines Notable Picture Book (Stripes! No, Spots!)
2016 — IBBY Honour Book (The Boring Book)
2014 — New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards: Best Picture Book and Margaret Mahy Book of the Year (The Boring Book)
2014 — White Raven Book (The Boring Book)
2014 — Storylines Notable Book Awards, Picture Books (The Boring Book)
2011 — LIANZA Russell Clark Award (Hill & Hole)
2011 — PANZ Book Design Awards: Gerard Reid Award for Best Book (Hill & Hole)
2011 — Storylines Notable Book Awards, Picture Books (Hill & Hole)
2011 — Storylines Notable Book Awards, Non-Fiction (Star Boy and Friends: How to Make Cool Stuff from Socks and Gloves and Weird Wabbit and Friends: How to Make Cool Stuff from Felt)
2008 — Storylines Notable Book Awards, Picture Books (The Bean’s Story)
