Bosnian Professor's Secret Passion SHOCKS the Art World!

Okay, so you know how sometimes you just need to reconnect with that thing you loved as a kid? Well, Bosnian-Herzegovinian professor Nejra Turčinović is doing just that. She's a civil engineering master's degree holder, a high school teacher, a college assistant...and a Children's book illustrator. Talk about a diverse resume!

Bosnian Professor's Secret Passion SHOCKS the Art ...

Turčinović's lifelong passion for drawing has led her back to cartoons and illustrations, which she uses as a form of artistic expression, crafting messages primarily for children, blending humor, cultural critique, and striking imagery. It's really cool to see someone with such a technical background embracing their creative side so wholeheartedly. I’ve always admired people who can balance seemingly disparate talents.

Having illustrated over twenty children’s books for both domestic and international markets, Turčinović's distinctive style has earned her quite a bit of recognition. Apparently, as a kid, she was a big fan of illustrated books, especially those from the "Bambi" and "Vjeverica" libraries – those were the picture book series to have in the former Yugoslavia, and she's still collecting them! I remember similar series from my own childhood; there's something so nostalgic about those old illustrations.

And her philosophy is simple: "I believe that we should give children as many illustrations as possible, including new, hand-drawn ones that give them a different perspective on fairy tales or stories and thus also might encourage them to draw and achieve success," Turčinović said. It's a great point. In a world saturated with digital everything, the charm and unique perspective of hand-drawn illustrations is more important than ever.

She's also an avid collector of illustrations herself, but finds the greatest joy in creating her own, filling sketchbooks, paper, and cardboard with her artwork. In addition to illustrating children’s books, she designs small, illustrated greeting cards, which she describes as “mostly humorous illustrations that contain subtle connections with certain…messages.” I love that! It's like she's adding little hidden jokes for the grown-ups buying the cards for their kids.

It's inspiring to see someone like Nejra Turčinović, a professor with a technical background, finding joy and success in reconnecting with her childhood passion. It just goes to show, it's never too late to embrace your inner artist, and maybe even inspire the next generation of illustrators in the process.