Rutová Magdalena

Magdalena Rutová (b. 1988) graduated from the Studio of Illustration and Graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (UMPRUM) in 2016, having studied under Juraj Horváth and Michaela Kukovičová. She writes and makes drawings for books. She makes linocuts and occasionally teaches art in her workroom. She makes portraits and draws diaries. She sporadically runs the linocut photo bank LINOSTOCK.com. As an illustrator, she mainly works on books for children; her artist’s book Já, chobotnice [I, Octopus] (Baobab, 2022) won the Zlatá stuha [Golden Ribbon] award, was included on the White Ravens international recommendations list, and received an honourable mention at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. For their adaptation of Petra Váša’s book Rajčaťáci a Banáni [The Tomato Gang and the Banana Gang] (Host, 2023), Rutová and Jan Čumlivski won 1^st place in the Most Beautiful Czech Book of the Year competition (Children’s Literature category). Between 8 April 2022 and 8 April 2023, Rutová and illustrator Michaela Kukovičová exchanged daily diary entries or other short messages in illustrated form based on private and public events of the day; the resulting 365 drawings multiplied by two embarrassed both the authors of the book and their relatives and acquaintances. In 2024, Baobab published all entries under the title Kniha roku [A Book of a Year]. Again with graphic design by Jan Čumlivský, A Book of a Year won the 2024 Most Beautiful Czech Book of the Year award (Fine-press and Artist’s Book category).

Magdalena Rutová does not have an agent. She does have two daughters, and a husband with whom she alternates working days. She is a member of the Madla and Jindra Academy of Illustration, whose main purpose is provision of an annual financial award to the best illustrator, still a revolutionary approach in a Czech environment.

Rutová has twice emerged from the Czech Grand Design competition as Illustrator of the Year (2023, 2025).

Books translated into: Dutch, German, Russian.