Annabel Wright wins V&A Illustration Award for ‘Views of Glasgow’ poster
Published: 21 July 2026
Scottish illustrator Annabel Wright has won the 2026 V&A Illustration Award for Advertising & Commercial and the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year for her 'Views of Glasgow: A Window into Communities' poster.
The Hunterian is delighted to announce that Scottish illustrator Annabel Wright has won the 2026 V&A Illustration Award for Advertising & Commercial, and has also been named the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year for her poster created for the exhibition Views of Glasgow: A Window into Communities.
Selected by a panel of leading illustrators and industry experts, Annabel’s winning design was praised for its layered visual storytelling and its ability to attract audiences who might not typically visit an art gallery. Her illustration combines multiple drawing styles to reflect the exhibition’s breadth, setting key elements and narratives against a recognisable Glasgow backdrop. At its centre is a time-travelling robin, a character from Annabel’s co-self-published children’s book What Starts Here Stops Here, guiding viewers through scenes of protest, community action and local creativity.
Commissioned by The Hunterian specifically for the exhibition’s marketing campaign, the illustration was designed to work across a wide range of formats, from large-scale posters and banners to digital assets and wayfinding. Its colour palette draws directly from the exhibition’s display design, while its collage-based construction allowed Annabel to combine individually painted elements into a cohesive, dynamic composition.
Views of Glasgow was co-curated with members of the Woodlands community and brought together iconic paintings of the city with objects, artworks and archival material. The exhibition explored themes including community spaces, environmental change, industry and pollution, and the legacies of empire.
The poster incorporates several stories featured in the exhibition, including the 1967 children’s protest to save the ‘Venny’ adventure playground, the Woodlands People of Colour quilt-making group, and the yarn-bombed bench, an interactive element which was at the heart of the show. Additional illustrations by Annabel, including material from What Starts Here Stops Here, were also displayed within the exhibition.
First established in 1972, the V&A Illustration Awards celebrate outstanding work created for the UK market by illustrators from around the world. The Awards are generously supported by The Linder Foundation and the Moira Gemmill Memorial Fund.
Views of Glasgow: A Window into Communities was at the Hunterian Art Gallery from 5 December 2025 to 26 April 2026. Entry was free.
First published: 21 July 2026
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