The Penguin Design Award (2013) 'The Big Sleep'

Every year Penguin Publishing chose one of their 'classic' novels to have illustrated by a new and upcoming artist. The competition is designed for art, illustration and design students at the HND or Degree level to have their work printed on the cover of a major publication. The experience will also help applicants to engadge in design for publishing during their studies and to experience real life jacket-design briefs first hand. The prizes include a chance to win a work placement with the Penguin and Puffin design studio, as well as £1000 in prize money. Students may enter one or both categories. 

To make the competition as realistic and similar to 'jacket-design briefs', once the judges have selected a 'shortlist', The according judges will give a the shortlisted entrants feedback and further art direction on their submissions. Shortlisted entrants will then be invited to resubmit their work, taking all the comments on board and making adjustments before the final round of judging.

Deadline Dates:

The closing date for entries is 12 noon (B.S.T) on Thurdays, 9th April 2013.

The shortlisted entrants will be announced on this website by friday, 3rd of May 2013.

The shortlisted entrants will be contacted by Friday, 3rd of May 2013 with feedback and further art direction on their covers, and the closing date for the resubmission of final work is Friday the 17th of April 2013. 

Additional information: The 2013 Award is open to all students on an Art and Design course at HND and degree level. It is also open to MA students. The award is not open to students on a Art foundation course.

Penguin advise entrants that they should at least have a reasonable standart of English so that, If they were to win the first prize, they are able to get the most out of their potential work placement. 

Fee: None.

All entires must be supplied digitally via a link which will be available on this site from Wednesday, 16th of January 2012. Entries submitted in any other way, including via email or hard-copy, will not be accepted.

The First pengin paperbacks appearing 1935, revolutionising the publishing industry and becoming an integral part of the British culture and design history. The Art directors at Penguin are Jim Stoddart and John Hamilton.

Prizes:

1st: The winner will receive a four week work placement at the pengin design studio, working with The aforementioned Art Directors.There is also the £1000 cash prize.

2nd: The second place prize winner shall receive £350 cash.

3rd: The third place prize winner shall receive £250 cash.

The Shortlisted entrants will be invited to an award ceremony where the winners will be announced, and at which an exhibition of all the shortlisted designs will be displayed.

Judge Information:Penguin Judges

Joanna Prior - Managing Director, Penguin General

Joanna Prior has had a senior position and strong influence on Penguins design for the last eight years. Her innovative and award winning market campaigns have helped Penguin's Book's to become the giant they are today.She also runs Penguin's 'Art committee, and has published such prize winning best sellers as Nick Hornby, Zadie Smith, Antony Beevoe, William Trevor, Zoe Heller and MArina Lewycka.  

Jim Stoggart - Penguin Press Art Director

prior to Penguin Jim Stoggart designed record/ CD covers for such labels as EMI, Virgin, BMG, Mute and Trojan Records.Initially working as a cover design for penguin he split his time between 'Getty Images' and 'Penguin' coming back to work as the Art Director of Penguin Press.He overseas the design and rebranding of modern and contemporary Penguin Classics. He also redesigns covers himself though, but mainly for Penguin's Allen Lane hardback imprint label and non-fiction paperbacks. Jims team were shortlisted for the Design museum's Designer of the Year Award in 2005 for the Penguin Great Ideas series. 

John Hamilton - Penguin General Art Director

Starting out as a Jr Illustrator in Glasgow John came to Penguin in 1997 as an Art Director and was the driving force behind the famous orange spine now on every cover.

Other Guest Judges:

Paul Morley

writer of books on 'Joy Division', suicide, the moog synthesiser and the north of England. 

Adrian Shaughnessy

A graphic designer, writer and educator. He spent 15 years as a creative the design studio 'Intro'. He has written numerous books on design including'How to be a graphic designer without loosing your soul' and has a hosts a radio station called Resonance FM. 

The Brief: 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler  

Dubbed as "More than just a Mystery novel", and first published in 1939, The Big Sleep has become a classic of American Literature. Chandler has been praised for his wit, deft handeling of plot and advanced writing style. The Big Sleep was made into a very famous motion picture in 1946, staring Humphrey Bogart and lauren Bacall, two of the biggest movie stars of the era.

The introduction to The Big Sleep is written by Author Ian Rankin.  

‘The Big Sleep opens with my favourite paragraph in all crime fiction and doesn’t let up until a wonderfully written coda. It was one of the first crime novels I ever read, and is still one of the best.

‘The Big Sleep is a story of sex, drugs, blackmail and high society narrated by a cynical tough guy, Philip Marlowe. As such, it provides the template for much of the urban crime fiction which came after, as well as most modern Hollywood thrillers. What sets it apart from the crowd, however, is the quality of the mind which conceived it. Chandler’s pulp credentials show in the twisting of the plot, yet it reads with the simple inevitability of classical tragedy: General Sternwood, the ailing millionaire who needs Marlowe’s help, is a king betrayed by his unruly daughters.

‘When the younger Sternwood daughter turns up naked in Marlowe’s apartment, he concentrates instead on a chess problem, concluding that “knights had no meaning in this game”. Marlowe, however, remains a knight of sorts – tarnished, to be sure, a knight errant. The work he does is dirty, but he maintains his own moral code. Marlowe encounters damsels in distress and plenty of monsters (usually in the guise of gangsters and corrupt authority figures). All of which shows just what a firm, literate grasp Chandler had of the genre within which he worked.

‘Chandler described the American crime novel as being “dark and full of blood” (as opposed to its “lithe and clever” English equivalent), and said of Marlowe: “I see him always in a lonely street, in lonely rooms, puzzled but never quite defeated.” When he died, one obituary stated that “in working the vein of crime fiction [Chandler] mined the gold of literature”. Few writers have come close to matching him.

‘The Big Sleep, however, is such fun to read you probably won’t notice how clever its author is being. Chandler remains the king of the one-liner. An example such as “He wore a blue uniform coat that fitted him the way a stall fits a horse” is both witty and full of subtle meaning, telling us much about the flunky’s disappointed life. By the time Marlowe, at the end of the book, describes the “bright gardens” outside the Sternwood mansion as having “a haunted look”, we realise that sunny and prosperous California is a tainted Eden, a place essentially dark and full of blood.

‘It’s a world which has had no finer chronicler than Raymond Chandler.’

The Big Sleep Is a serious and quite significant mainstream novel that possesses all the elements of of a perfect mystery and crime classic. The story is well known In both film and literiture 

The brief

The Big Sleep is a serious and significant mainstream novel that just happens to possess elements of mystery and crime. The story is well known both in celluloid and print so it is essential to come at it from a fresh angle. Try to design a new cover for a new generation of readers, avoiding the obvious clichés. Originality is key.

Audience: all readers both familiar and unfamiliar with the text, male and female.

Message: there are many layers and themes within the book. Read it and discover what the book means to you.

Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specified design template (B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine 16mm wide).

What the judges are looking for:

We are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market. While all elements of the jacket need to work together as a cohesive whole, remember that the front cover must be effective on its own and be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting. It also needs to be able to work on screen for digital retailers such as Amazon.

The winning design will need to:

• have an imaginative concept and original interpretation of the brief
• be competently executed with strong use of typography
• appeal to a contemporary readership
• show a good understanding of the marketplace
• have a point of difference from the many other book covers it is competing against

Odyssey II

Odyssey two (as stated on the Deviant Art website) is the second mass collaboration event to be conceived by the art site after the first Odyssey book. The Fantasy fiction writer Clive Barker (Known for such novels as 'The Damnation Game, 'Weaveworld', 'The Hellbound Heart',  'The Great and Secret Show', 'Sacrament', 'Tortured Souls' and 'Absolute Midnight'. The entire script, story and artwork will be consisted of the work produced by the members of Deviant Art. The final result will be printed for publication and also be produced into a digital format so It can be enjoyed on tablets and phones alike. The 'Prompt' from chapter two was written by Barker and has already had the illustrations hand picked ready for the novel. right now the Chapters are being written and Illustrated by hundreds or thousands of Illustrators. Currently chapter three is nearing completion and the artwork, writing for chapters 4 and five is underway. Submissions for chapter 5 open thursday 16/11/12 and Chapter 4 Artwork is open Thursday 19/11/12. 

The Chapter and illustration chosen every monday (lit) and friday (Artwork) and then published will serve as the foundation for the deviant writer and artists to base their submissions for the story's next chapter continuation.After each published Illustration and chapter there will be a "prompt" to suggest what might be revealed inn the next chapter.

Artwork submission should reflect the chapter previously published. Artwork must be submitted as a JPEG or PNG file and be available at 300dpi. Any type of artwork that fits with the story will be accepted (including photography).

Lit submissions are limited to 400 words, but there is some leniency on the word count, so submissions with slightly less or more words will  not be disqualified. Poetry, Line Art, and Film/Animation can reflect any chapter, from the beginning, middle end, and can be any length. Poetry, Line Art, and Film/Animation must be submitted by December 24, 2012. More info is on the DeviantArt website.

This is not really a contest in the traditional sense of rules and although complicated writing and extravagant Artwork may be impressive, if they don't serve the purpose of the project then they will not be seriously considered. Multiple submissions for a single chapter are encouraged, as there is no limit for submissions.

There will be a poem chosen to reflect the beginning, middle and end of the storyline. Poems are selected at the end of the project and can be submitted up until then. There may be more chosen as the competitions continues.  Although a professional approach is recommended, The most perfectly written, grammatically correct piece of writing or visually stunning piece of artwork will be necessarily be ideal for the purpose of this project. The general message that I got from the link on deviant art was to read everything that had been written so far, study all the Artwork submitted and most importantly the Artwork that won and see where your own style can fit in.

It Is evident from the everything that I read that they are looking for the most evocative, resonant, epiphanous piece of work. "Something expressed in an imagery powerful enough top transcend the limited word count, or a single page illustration." 

"The short straight-right Gina Carano knockout punch that ends a fight quicker than a dozen weaker, though crowd-pleasing haymakers. Narrative Haikus that sperk up the brain, warm the heart, and make a lasting phytocrystalized imprint on the ghostly artistic soul. 


Prologue by Clive Barker:

'They're Mad, They are"

his was the second time Paul had come to London. The first time, he was seventeen. He'd stood in Victoria Station and felt more alive than he ever had in his life; back then, some woman had caught his eye and smiled. It was like the city had laid back and opened its legs for him. He'd felt welcomed by her. He'd even debated following the woman home and getting it on with her. But the etiquette was still new to him, so rather than risk looking foolish, he shifted himself in his underwear to get comfortable and went to his hostel instead. Now, he was thirty, and there was no winking woman at the station, so he made his way straight to the Underground. It was very crowded. He got on the Piccadilly Line and sat down by a red-haired man in a brown bomber jacket. After about a minute, the red-haired man moved his head in a peculiar way. Paul saw this out of the corner of his eye. The man's head was nodding small, fast nods. Paul didn't look straight at the man, but rather at his own feet. He was tired. Too tired to move, but in his periphery, he could see that the nods were getting bigger. Paul glanced up, and saw the man's reflection in the window opposite. Against the reflection and the black tunnel wall Paul saw the man's head twisting about, and his limbs thrashing. He didn't know what to do.

 A woman on the seat opposite Paul was staring at him as though he was looking at the red-headed man judgmentally, and ought to be ashamed of himself. Paul felt his cheeks flare with embarrassment Somebody said, "He's having a fit."The woman opposite said, "He's an epileptic!" Paul turned to see that the man's eyeballs were rolled up under his lids. His skin was a ghastly sick-pink color. And then the epileptic redheaded man keeled over on to Paul's lap. Paul was now sitting there with this fully-grown man jerking and gnashing across him. God, he felt such an idiot. Down the carriage, somebody had got up and was taking off his belt. What was this? An epileptic and an exhibitionist in one carriage. The guy was folding his belt on itself. He came down the carriage. The woman opposite got up. "I'm going to put it between his teeth so he doesn't swallow his tongue," the man said to Paul. "Don't move, I'll deal with it. Paul sat there under his weight of spasmodic flesh and bone thinking he wouldn't have been able to move even if he wanted to."Oh, thank God," said the woman.  "It's not a bad fit."There was no need for the belt. The redheaded man was coming around, the fit over almost as fast as he'd gone in to it. Paul wondered what the bad ones were like.The people on the Underground were trying to get the redheaded man upright, but he wanted to stay lying down. He was clutching Paul's legs like they were his only serenity. But the woman managed to uncurl the fingers, and sit him upright."Are you alright now?" she said. The other guy was putting his belt back on."Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay," the guy was saying.He had his eyes closed. He looked ghastly. The train slowed as they approached the station. The redheaded man opened his eyes. He looked at the woman."Thank you," he said.Paul felt like a shit for not being more useful. The guy was clearly feeling bad."Is this your stop?" said the woman."It doesn't matter," the redheaded man said. "I just want to get off.""It's my stop," said Paul.The train came into the station, and stopped. The guy got up."You okay?" asked Paul. The guy didn't answer. They got off the train together."You want to get a cup of coffee or something?" said Paul. "I'll get you something if you like."  "No," said the redheaded man, and walked off into the crowd without looking once at Paul.As welcomes went, it wasn't warm.It wasn't until later, in his room, that Paul found the little vomit stain on his trousers...

The Artwork Below is the winning piece for the Prologue, work entitled 'The Underground' by HansNomad. 

1ST PLACE

2ND PLACE










The piece of writing that is currently being illustrated for Odyssey II, Chapter 4 is as follows:

The invasion like no other is on, and we are witness with players whose unique perspectives and goals open up a world of possibilities.  This invasion is viral, like other plagues of our times, but the virus is sentient and Paul battles to free his body not just of a deadly encroaching poison but possession by a growing evolving parasite of unknown origin.  Does he presently bear within his own body his “son” – or his cannibalistic assassin?   His only ally, a savage young woman named Maya who is ostensibly warring against the secret viral invasion, may be suffering possession, perhaps unknown even to herself. And the possessing intelligence may be the “sister” of the alien being whose spawn now grows inside Paul, a spawn she would for unknown reason seek to destroy (anonymously).

Chapter Four demands plotting and propulsion!  Who are these sisters and where do they come from, with one launching a viral invasion against humanity and one, perhaps, fighting her?  Is Maya possessed or still in control of her full faculties – just what these are and whom she works for not yet revealed to us. And what of Paul’s untenable mental and physical situation?  He occupies that space from which mad seers, monsters and heroes are born (and sacrificed). The wildest elements have been whipped into our Storytellers’ cauldron.  Now let’s crank our thinking brains to turbo-puree and cook up something palatable to the most discerning of connoisseurs of mystery and imagination.

       

                             

                                                          CHAPTERS

CHAPTER ONE

TITLE: A SHOWER AND CHANGE

(LIT):  -MARKMYWORDS85

ARTWORK:  *LITTLECROW

"Ah, damn.  God damn."

The stain was small, no larger than a coin.  It fell near his right hip, nestled in the dip between crotch and thigh.  Still, it was nauseating.  Paul stripped off the trousers and walked to the sink, hoping the sliver of hotel soap would take out the spot.

He began running the hot water and paused, staring at the vomit.  Resisting the urge to gag, he grazed his fingers over the stain.  It was purely liquid and slick like dish soap, but the sickly brown could only be vomit.  He slowly raised his hand to his face and sniffed his fingers.  Nothing.  It seemed, for a moment, odorless.  But no, he suddenly caught a faint scent of metal.  Like a cup full of coins.  Or a bloodied nose.

"Shit!"  A stream of blood ran down his nostrils, over his lip and down his chin.  Paul dropped the trousers to the bathroom floor and watched the blood and water run down the drain, pink and cloudy.  He grabbed a tissue and clamped his nose shut.

Catching sight of himself in the mirror, Paul started to laugh.  Half-naked, clad only in a t-shirt and briefs, nose bloodied and trousers stained with vomit.  He stopped laughing when he noticed an ugly, reddened patch of skin creeping out of his underwear and down his leg.  It was raised and it shined like a blister.

Paul threw the tissue into the toilet, thankful that the bleeding had abated.  He touched the spot, wincing at the sudden pain.  Carefully, he removed his briefs, and saw an uneven, ugly rash, emanating outward from that tender area where the vomit stain had been.  Thoughts raced: had the redheaded man ingested some kind of poison?  Had his stomach acid burned Paul's skin?  It was probably a simple rash, but Paul was frightened.  He turned off the sink, rushing now to the shower, running a lukewarm mix before stepping in.  

Paul worked up a lather in his hands and gently started to wash the rash.

Flakes, like scales, began to slough away.

Underneath whirled a mass of colors.  Indigo.  Vermilion.  Rust.  Mahogany.  And they were… moving.  Swirling.  Copulating with each other.  Buds of new, unseen colors exploding from the trysts.

It was beautiful.  It was obscene.  
It was spreading.

CHAPTER TWO

TITLE: THE HOST WITH THE MOST 

(LIT):  -MARKMYWORDS85

ARTWORK:  *LITTLECROW

'Paul staggered out into the early morning fog like a drunkard.

He hunched into the raised lapels of this too-thin jacket and  wandered away from the hotel, disoriented, shivering--panic gnawing at his gut like a cannibal.  "I need help," he thought, "but where?"  The nearest hospital was the obvious answer, but the thought of what the doctors would do filled his mind with images of hospital beds with straps, extended isolation with no answers and needles piercing his flesh.

The mass on his thigh was growing--that was certain.  Paul could feel it writhing and pushing against his flesh as he walked.  Lost in his fears, he never noticed the black, windowless van pull up next to him until he heard the van door slide back violently, and rough hands reached out and pulled him out of the grey London mist into darkness.

He awoke with a headache, disoriented.  His eyes would not focus and he began to panic, his heart pounding in his chest.   He tried to sit up but nausea pushed him back.  He had been taken, somewhere--against his will.  He could hear voices, people talking nearby and the muffled sounds of movement.

"Stay down a few more minutes love, until the Proxitol nausea subsides."  The husky female voice with the British accent was so close to where he lay that it startled him.
  
"Who ...where," was all he could manage.  His throat was sandpaper.

"You can call me Maya," she replied.  "Paul, I know this is very unsettling, but I need you to listen."

He groaned as he sat up on one elbow, taking short breaths until the wave of nausea subsided.  The talking shadow was coming into focus.  "Listen to me, love.  We've been watching you since the problem in the tube. The mass inside you is ...well, it's not from here--and it is sentient.  It moves from host to host until it finds one to gestate in.  The Proxitol is the only chemical that slows the growth."

Paul squinted and blinked as Maya resolved into view.  She was of medium height with short red hair, and fairly attractive.  She wore a sleeveless shirt and blue cargo pants.  His attention was immediately drawn to the assortment of weapons strapped to her body.

"What...is that for," he croaked, nodding at a particularly nasty, curved blade.

"You--in case it gets out of control," she sighed'.

CHAPTER THREE

TITLE: THE HOST WITH THE MOST 

(LIT):  -MARKMYWORDS85

ARTWORK:  *LITTLECROW

Lysanna felt a sudden change in her breathing, and knew than that something had happened to her Progeny.  Though the organism was still very small, she shared a psychic link with it that would remain as it transferred from host to host.  When the growth cycle was complete, the bond she had with the tiny bit of life would be severed as it emerged from the host with its own consciousness.  

She looked in the mirror at her gaunt face, the colors of her life force faded and barely moving under the surface of her tightly stretched, translucent skin. Her time in this world was diminishing and with every dying moment she hoped that her progeny would take hold in it's new host. She had tried transferring her progeny to the humans many times before, and felt the twinge of pain as it was violently rejected, leaving the host in throes of agony as it expelled the last bits of the strange organism. But this time, she was hopeful, for the progeny had thrived longer in the new host body than any of her other attempts. 

Slowly, she began slinking through the empty room, dodging the rays of the afternoon light that fell on the floor from behind the drawn curtains. Her weakened body could not stand an assault from the sun's rays,  nor could her eyes which were large and accustomed to the dark the way all deep sea creatures were. She rummaged through a box of things the former tenant had abandoned, and found what she was looking for: two long shards of mirror.  She held one in each hand and slowly the colors that rippled beneath the surface of her skin began to move until they started to cast a faint light. Lysanna looked into the space between the mirrors and a vision began to emerge there in the shadows. She saw the human form that her progeny was inhabiting, motionless except for its breathing, the organism stunned  by the steady injections of Proxitol. She looked hard and saw that the colors were barely moving, but still pulsing with life. And as she looked harder, to her horror, she saw the human woman injecting the Proxitol wasn't a woman. It was her sister inhabiting a human body. 

Her sister was trying to snuff her out of existence.

                            
CHAPTER FOUR

TITLE: THE HOST WITH THE MOST 

(LIT):  -MARKMYWORDS85

ARTWORK:  *LITTLECROW



Paul's whole world was spinning.  The Proxitol made it incredibly difficult for him to think clearly. Maya? Yes, her name was Maya. She had told him it would only be a few days, that the thing inside would dissolve.  She'd been wrong, and she'd been surprised that she'd been wrong, not that it mattered. Resting his head against the cool porcelain of the toilet in the cell he called a room, Paul 
could almost laugh about how this all seemed like some ridiculous dream. But the pain, the disorientation, and the feeling of...something inside...assured him it was anything but.  

The growth had started spreading again, but it was different this time. The iridescent scales had formed 
patches around his hips, wrapped around his waist, and then branched out into two separate lines that 
ran up and gathered around his shoulder blades, sprouting opaque sacs.
 
That night he dreamed of an ocean, somewhere far, far away. Something large and shapeless, sparkling like a star-covered sky, swam past and circled around him. Orbs of light blinked in and out of existence as a Voice echoed within his skull.

Please, We Must Help Mother.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

I Am Tal'shen Spawn of Lysanna.  Please, We Must Help Her.

"Why can't anyone give me any ANSWERS!"  His head swirled with frustration and fear. "I don't understand any of this!" 

A feeling of deep regret surrounded Paul.  
I Am Sorry. I Can Only Tell You Little. I Am Tal'shen, Spawn Of Lysanna.  She Seeks Asylum From Those That Would Come Again. The One You Call Maya Holds Within Her The Sister-Progeny Of Lysanna.  I Cannot Sense Her Motives, Only Tell You She Has Not Told You Everything.

"Why isn't the Proxitol working on you?"

I Am Not A Normal Spawn.  I Am Abnormal, Mutated, Immune To The Poison Being Used. I Cannot Leave You As Others Would Leave Their Hosts. If I Am To Survive, Then It Is In MY Interests To Help AND Keep You Alive. I Shall Try And Assist, As You Will See.

"What do you mea-"

It Is Time You Woke Up. SHE Is Approaching.

When Paul opened His Eyes, he couldn't really say he was surprised to see that the sacs had popped, leaving wriggling masses of tentacles sprouting from his shoulder blades.

The door opened, and Maya stepped in.

ARTWORK FOR CHAPTER 4: UNDECIDED

NEXT DEADLINES:

CHAPTER 4 (ARTWORK): 19TH NOVEMBER.
CHAPTER 5 (ARTWORK): 26TH NOVEMBER
CHAPTER 6 (ARTWORK): 3RD DECEMBER 
CHAPTER 7 (ARTWORK): 17TH DECEMBER
CHAPTER 8 (ARTWORK): 24TH DECEMBER

When you submit content as a participating artist to the collaborative storytelling project on deviantART currently known as Odyssey II, you and your submission are subject to the following:

1 -DeviantART and other contributors to Odyssey II are granting you a non-exclusive license to use the materials already selected for inclusion in Odyssey II at the time of your submission and to base your submission in whole or in part on those materials as you may wish.

2 -You will own and control all of the content that you added to your submission and you represent that everything you have added to your submission is original to you.

3 -You are granting deviantART the non-exclusive right to use your submission as a part of the Odyssey II project on deviantART.

4 -If your submission is selected as a contribution to the collective work resulting from Odyssey II (that is, as a chapter or illustration or poem or audio-visual clip), you agree that other contributors to Odyssey II can base their submissions on your work.  Further, if selected, deviantART will have the right to use your submission in the resulting compilation from Odyssey II and publish the compilation as a book and/or as a multimedia digital book (the "Books") and distribute and/or reproduce the Books in any way and by any method on or off deviantART and to anywhere in the Universe.

5 -DeviantART agrees, and you understand and agree, that at the request of Clive Barker all proceeds from any sales and/or licensing of the Books after deduction of third party expenses will be donated to The Amanda Foundation.  DeviantART and Clive Barker are not receiving any fees or retaining any royalties in connection with Odyssey II or the Books.

6 -DeviantART will own the copyright in the compilation work resulting from Odyssey II and you will retain the copyright in your own submission which you may use in any way subject to deviantART's non-exclusive rights.

7 -You agree to negotiate reasonable terms for the use of your submission if the Books incorporating your submission are further exploited in media other than the Books themselves.

Nandos Menu Art Competition

Nando’s commission original works from South African artists to make up an ever growing art collection. With amazing work from everyone from bushmen on community farms to renowned Johannesburg painters, the collection is distinctly diverse.They have also helped an independent studio set up a subsidised diploma course for aspiring artists. Successful students work is considered for the Nando’s collection. This means that artists achieve recognition through the designs on the menu and walls of the restaurants. 

                                                              Artwork By Diana Page.           

L. Morrocco

L Zantizi

                                                               Martin Stiller.

and Christoper Stack.Nando's Restaurant Seem to take an interest in changing there menu design and artwork every year, thus keeping their image nice and fresh. The competition will be fierce and the design must be colourful. People with an interest in Nando's food, and African Art may have an advantage. The winning design will feature on every menu cover nation wide and the the winning artist will have his/her name on the menu next to the artwork, which is potentially great publicity. You'll also be able to go and see your winning entry whenever you'd like because we'll throw in a years' worth of free Nando's chicken. Nando's love African art and have more than 4000 pieces of art in their restaurants throughout the UK. The last three artist to have their work feature on the menu were all of African decent. Khaya Sinele, Xolile Mtakatya and Zemba Luzamba are the name of the three artists. 

    Khaya SineleKhaya is inspired by other artists outside the mainstream, he believes those not classically trained artists have perhaps got better ways of expressing themselves, similar to the free and untainted paintings made by children but with the insight and skill of an adult. Khaya prefers to use oil paint as the drying colour is often surprising and gives intersting results. His influences are broad and his studies include the study of art at 'The Amac Institute' going on to do work for South African galleries, Nando's, and the 'Spier Art Collection.



Khaya believes that that the 'Nando's art initiative acts as a bridge between the artist and the broad art market. It has also enabled hundreds of more obscure artists have their work exhibited throughout the U.K. 

The Nando's initiative has assisted Khaya get the exposure he needed to build his confidence in acquiring commissions and learn more about his own work. 

Xolile Mtakatya



Mtakatya is inspired by the energy he gets from watching his subjects in their environments and likes to translate their emotions to his prefered medium. Rather than drawing from photographs, Xolile likes to draw from life and adopts an impressionistic style. 



Mtakatya also prefers to use oils, as It is the medium he used the most during his studies at his Foundation School of Arts. His work is heavily influenced by the South African struggle of many marginalized and discriminated groups. Many were groups of artists that were willing to challenge the Apartheid system. Some of the artists that have influenced Mtakatya include other Africans that specialise in resistance art, namely Dumile Feni, William Kentridge and Mamdindi. 

Below (Mtakatya's design for the Nando's menu).

Mtakatya's work can be seen on the 'Spier wine estate, Cape Gallery, Old Mutual and throughout Germany and Holland. Myakatyas work used to be less abstract but after his work with Nando's his style became more developed and he became more prolific as a result.

         Zemba Luzamba

Zemba Luzamba is the third artist Africa who has had his work on the Nando's manu in recent years, his main influences are Lesape (A culture found deep in the Congo DRC where clothing signifies identity. Regardless of wealth as long as you can have an orinal or unique style of dress then you will be respected by society. 



By dressing in a smart or elegant manner one person can have the confidence and ability to empower oneself and achieve great things. The concept of Lesape is a way I can show the positive side of Africa through my art. 



I want the rest of the world to see that Africa is not fully marked by its famine and desolation, but to show that the people still have self-respect and elegance in the way they dress. I want to show that there is humility and awareness in Africa. Like the other aformentioned African artists, oil seams to be the preferred media. Zemba has done work for the Nando's Art Collection, Spier Wine Estate and Culture in Corporation in the USA.