Vladimir Radunsky
Vladimir Radunsky (1954- 2018) Is a prolific illustrator who published more than 30 children’s books within his lifetime. He received many awards including several New York Times Best Illustrated Book Awards, and exhibited his work in France, Italy, Japan, and across the US. Vladimir Radunsky was born in Russia, to his father, a physicist and computer scientist, and his mother, a chemist. Radunsky found that despite his goals of becoming a doctor, his passion was in the arts. In 1973 he pursued his artistic drive at the Moscow Architectural Institute, where he honed his skills in architecture and became a gifted draftsman. Radunsky left the program before completing his degree to pursue opportunities overseas, traveling to Vienna in 1982, before settling in New York. There, despite his architectural background, he concentrated on graphic design, producing art books for Harry & Abrams and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also worked as an art director for Macmillan. By 1988, he had married his wife, Eugenia Uritsky, and published his first children’s book, “The Riddle”, written by Adele Vernon and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky and Robert Rayevsky. His career as an illustrator quickly flourished, and led to a fast friendship with Chris Raschka. Raschka and Radunsky collaborated on many books together. In 2001, Vladimir Radunsky moved to Rome, Italy, dividing his time between Italy and New York. Radunsky passed away in Rome, on September 11th, 2018. He is survived by his wife, brother, and two daughters, Anna and Alexandra Radunsky.
The documentary, Dudunya, the Art & Many Hats of Vladimir Radunsky will premiere at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on November 3rd at 1 PM