Born in the city of Zhitomir (current day Ukraine) and later settled into London; Donia Nashchen quickly established herself as a successful book illustrator after graduating from the Slade School of Art. Her early career, which mostly consisted of book illustrations, includes the works of world renowned authors such as Arthur Schnitzler, Anatole France, and Oscar Wilde.
Telegraph Less, 1943.
Once World War II hit Europe, Nashchen gravitated towards illustrating posters for a number of campaigns, including the "Make Do and Mend" Campaign, ran by the British Board of Trade. Nachshen's talent and passion for her craft become apparent by the continuation of her book illustration career, even with WWII right at her doorstep.
At Just Looking Gallery we ran into an interesting connection to Donia Nachshen when two of our clients turned out to be related to her. Nachshen's Art Deco style very closely resembles the style of various artists at our gallery, including Steve Thomas' Travel pieces and Tim Huhn's WPA paintings.
