The Year in Illustration 2020
Scott GelberHow Our Reporter Fought 'Doomscrolling'“Scott's masterful animation vividly captures the endless binge of apocalyptic news that defined 2020.” — Alexandra Zsigmond, art director
The most memorable illustrations of 2020, as chosen by art directors at The New York Times.
Armando VeveThe Science Behind Your Child’s Tantrums“This image perfectly evokes the psychological distress of a young child — something we've all seen. Armando and I emailed back and forth 101 times to arrive at the final illustration (a record).” — Sarah Williamson, art director
Chris BurnettAmerica’s Enduring Caste System“America’s founding ideals promise liberty and equality for all. Chris Burnett’s collage illustrates the stress and tension within America right now.” — Matt Curtis, art director
Eleanor DavisAt Home“In April, The Times launched At Home, a new section rooted in the hope that we could meaningfully improve our lives under lockdown. Eleanor's image of a city waking up, finding solace in a sliver of the rising sun and looking out toward a new day together is the image of 2020: hopeful, if quarantined.” — Andrew Sondern, art director
Cannaday ChapmanAt Home“New York City was beginning to open up in June. Cannaday skillfully zooms in on a universal summertime pleasure that now must be enjoyed while wearing a mask.” — Mary Jane Callister, art director
Diana EjaitaAt Home“Diana Ejaita's vibrant cover was the perfect image to follow a weekend of protests for Black Lives Matter. It alludes to the question of whether to stay at home or to join the movement.” — Mary Jane Callister, art director
Grace J. KimLosing My Mom to Alzheimer’s, Then Finding Her Again“For this moving account of losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s, Grace created a beautiful moment where time seemed to stop, capturing both immense sadness and deep gratitude.” — Nathan Huang, art director
Ina JangShe Had a Headache for Months. Then She Could Barely See.“For our Diagnosis column, Ina was able to beautifully depict an invisible symptom, illustrating the feeling of an intense headache by combining gradients and saturated colors.” — Claudia Rubín, art director
Shuhua XiongHow to Reduce Your Risk of PTSD in a Post-Covid-19 World“Life has a multitude of emotions. Shuhua was able to capture a beautiful, intimate moment of self-reflection.” — Jaspal Riyait, art director
Jon HanWhat Cancer Has Taught Me About Fear“Jon is a curious, explorative illustrator who continuously pushes the scope of his medium. Words can’t describe the awe I feel when looking at this piece: a goopy, tactile, digital painting.” — Jaspal Riyait, art director
Roberts RuransBook Review: Holiday Books“Roberts looked to illuminated manuscripts in order to remind us of the wonder and solace that books can offer in a singularly faith-rattling holiday season.” — Matt Dorfman, art director
Wesley AllsbrookThe Virus, the Bats and Us“Bats and their complex relationship with humans are at the heart of this not-so-gothic tale. Wesley’s illustrations of the noble Chiroptera are both wondrous and, dare I say it, adorable?” — Michael Houtz, art director
Geoff McFetridgeThe Trouble With Empathy“Geoff’s illustration is rhythmic yet distinct, puzzling yet familiar — perfect for a story about learning to love the differences in ourselves and in others.” — Michael Houtz, art director
Javier JaénNo Politics Till the 7th Date? How Journalists Try to Stay Impartial“Debates about journalistic evenhandedness roiled American newsrooms last year. Javier's image suggests that impartiality is not so much about the mere presentation of objectivity, but about an approach that seeks out truth.” — Andrew Sondern, art director
John CusterHow America Can Reopen“In just a few hours John materialized this smart illustration conveying the flickering hope of March: that, with action, we might be able to prevent the worst of the pandemic. In hindsight, I see it as the year’s hope for normalcy slowly burning out.” — Nicholas Konrad, art director
Javier JaénWhat Lies Ahead?
Igor BastidasWhy America’s Political Divisions Will Only Get Worse“Igor's wordless ode to polarization and weaponized language created space to hear oneself think and be empathetic at the same time — a welcome magic trick.” — Matt Dorfman, art director
James Kerr/Scorpion DaggerTech Goliaths Act Like Davids“James Kerr’s animated mash-ups of Renaissance paintings are hilarious, brilliant satires of modern life and this depiction of powerful tech companies is no exception. Every detail here — from the glowsticks to the gleeful dance moves — is utter perfection.” — Alexandra Zsigmond, art director
Joe MelhuishTikTok Deal Faces Complications as U.S. and China Ratchet Up Tit-for-Tat“Joe's playful look at how TikTok had become a geopolitical piñata is both pleasing and fun. I could watch it on loop for hours.” — Molly Bedford, art director
Laura Park400 Hours. $500.“In April, we began asking artists to give our readers an assignment based on their own practice. Laura Park and Christian Robinson both contributed extraordinarily moving, personal pieces that were difficult to forget, even in a year when so much became a blur.” — Alicia DeSantis, art director
Michael DeForgeThe Evangelicals Who Are Taking On QAnon“Michael’s illustration fantastically captured the stakes of a dramatic spiritual battle.” — Michael Houtz, art director
Timo LenzenMaking Workplaces ‘Safe,’ and Weird“Timo always brings a unique, conceptual perspective to his highly polished pieces.” — Jaspal Riyait, art director
Sean DongApple Watch Is a Private Road“Sean’s elegant animation of an Apple watch as internet gateway was commissioned for the On Tech column, as were the following three illustrations, which also use motion to comment on the year’s pressing tech issues.” — Alexandra Zsigmond, art director
Dae In ChungThe Internet’s Most Censored Space“Created using Processing, a programming language, Dae In’s kinetic illustration addresses how technology is reshaping our world — not only through the abstract visual story it tells, but also through the digital tools used to tell it.” — Alexandra Zsigmond, art director
Edward Carvalho-MonaghanListen to Soundscapes from Home“At the end of a tough year, Edward was tasked with exploring the idea of finding balance in an unbalanced world. The result was a mind-bendingly imaginative image depicting the destructive forces of a universe that is constantly trying to steal our marbles.” — Tonya Douraghy, art director
Ben DenzerSpot Illustrations in Print: Daily Series“Ben cleverly used the form of the newspaper to transport readers to architectural landmarks as the world locked down. In this case, the medium isn’t just the message; it’s a destination unto itself.” — Andrew Sondern, art director
Ben DenzerSpot Illustrations in Print: Daily Series“Ben cleverly used the form of the newspaper to transport readers to architectural landmarks as the world locked down. The medium isn't just the message; it's a destination unto itself.” — Andrew Sondern, art director
Derek AbellaArt in Isolation: Apartment Moments“Derek’s work manages to be simultaneously soft and substantial, striking an emotional chord while capturing small moments of beauty — all despite the uncertainty of last spring.” — Nicholas Konrad, art director
Rad MoraThe World Has Changed. Where Do We Go From Here?“Rad’s piece deals with expression, meditation and transformation at a time when we all are waiting for something to happen.” — Antonio de Luca, art director
Rad MoraThe World Has Changed. Where Do We Go From Here?“Rad’s piece deals with expression, meditation and transformation at a time when we all are waiting for something to happen.” — Antonio de Luca, art director
Michael MapesThe Rape Kit's History“Michael lent his talent to a powerful story on the history of the rape kit. His laborious process, using physical objects, brought an elegant and visceral quality to the piece.” — Frank Augugliaro, art director
Josh Cochran and Alexa Lim HaasArt in Isolation: Front Lines“The 2020 pandemic revealed that our most essential workers are often the lowest paid. For this series, Josh and Alexa committed to the labor-intensive art of hand-drawn animation, imagining a day in the life of a delivery person who ventures into danger to serve a community under partial lockdown.” — Jim Datz, art director
Barbara KrugerOp-Art: A Corpse is Not a Customer“Barbara’s distinguished body of work deploys precise language as a weapon against apathy. In this case, she offers an unflinching commentary on the callous pursuit of pharmaceutical profits over human lives.” — Jim Datz, art director
Tim EnthovenHow Scientists Could Stop the Next Pandemic Before It Starts“Tim Enthoven’s eccentric and detailed piece depicts the many nuanced considerations that go into the creation of a vaccine.” — Caleb Bennett, art director
Kaisha Murzamadiyeva and Sasha PortisWhat Is ‘Dance Monkey’ and How Did It Take Over the World“Kaisha and Sasha constructed over 350 individual figures, combining all sorts of emojis, in order to tell the story of the hit song ‘Dance Monkey.’” — Antonio de Luca, art director
Lucie LangstonI Am Stuck Between Two Lives During This Pandemic“In this intimate piece, Lucie accounts her struggle with anxiety — trying to stay present in a world that feels like it’s coming apart. Her vivid colors and incredible linework offer the reader an entire world they can step inside.” — Nicholas Konrad, art director
Katherine LamThe New York Times for Kids
Travis LouieThe New York Times for Kids
Martha RichThe New York Times Magazine Fiction Special Section
Bianca BagnarelliWhen You’re at Home, You Get to Noticing Things“Using light and shadow, Bianca Bagnarelli beautifully captures a pandemic moment: enjoying a bit of summer despite being at home.” — Mary Jane Callister, art director
Sara WongHow to Catch Someone’s Eye While Social Distancing“With a dawn color palette and a dynamic composition, Sara captures the elation of seeing a crush on the street and the subsequent longing that ensues. We can’t touch, she warns, but perhaps with our shadows we can reach out and, at the very least, get a little closer.” — Nicholas Konrad, art director
Matt RotaA Father's Impossible Promise“There’s an urgent quality to Matt’s linework that I find compelling and well-suited to accompany raw, emotional writing. His image of a beleaguered father cradling his young son while contemplating how to explain the violence of the world richly embodies the moral complexity of the text.” — Jim Datz, art director
Alexis JametIs Your Child an Orchid, a Tulip or a Dandelion?“Alexis’s animation dreamily morphs between flower personalities in a windy, grainy haze.” — Jaspal Riyait, art director
Liang-Hsin HuangQuarantine Soundscapes“Liang-Hsin’s animations, paired with reader-submitted audio, reminds us of the community we share, even while living in pandemic solitude.” — Jaspal Riyait, art director
Derek AbellaFOMO Has Survived the Coronavirus“Derek was able to capture the feeling of watching our world exist through a flickering screen — collective, yet isolating.” — Jaspal Riyait, art director
Danielle MorganWhat Phone Calls Have Given Me That Video Chat Can't"Danielle Morgan brings warmth and intimacy to a phone call, illustrated as a paneled world unto itself." — Ben Grandgenett, art director
Hayley WallWhat Happens When You’re Disabled but Nobody Can Tell“Hayley’s clever use of negative space was a way of depicting the invisible disabilities that society doesn’t always recognize.” — Tala Safie, art director
Leonardo Santamaria‘I Will Not Apologize for My Needs’“In hospitals overwhelmed by the pandemic, caregivers were forced to consider the unthinkable: rationing lifesaving care when demand exceeded supply. Leo used cinematic composition and differential focus to emphasize the isolation and vulnerability of a patient whose future is especially precarious.” — Jim Datz, art director
Petra BörnerDon't Believe History Repeats Itself? Read This Book“Overcrowded hospitals, overburdened nurses and creeping isolation: the 1918 flu rhymes historically with Covid-19. Petra's gorgeous streaks and splotches made that fear and chaos stretch across time.” — Matt Dorfman, art director
Rachel Levit RuizBook Review: America’s Immigration Paradox“One author argued that the United States had, in the past 50 years, become an increasingly tolerant and welcoming beacon for legal immigration. Another author argued the opposite. Rachel was asked to illustrate both together.” — Matt Dorfman, art director
Najeebah Al GhadbanGirl, Interrupted“The gray areas between mutual love and abuse don't enter life any more neatly than they leave it. Najeebah's expert piece captured that complexity just so.” —Matt Dorfman, art director
Sophy HollingtonThe Decameron Project“For our special all-fiction issue inspired by ‘The Decameron,’ Sophy Hollington created a hand-carved linocut illustration combining imagery from several stories that also served as a visual nod to 14th-century illuminated manuscripts.” — Rachel Willey, art director
Delcan & CompanyCan America Restore the Rule of Law Without Prosecuting Trump?“For our story on the potential criminal liability facing Donald Trump as he leaves office, Pablo Delcan created what looks like a folder containing this intractable legal problem — one so vast and complicated that it has to be held closed by rubber bands.” — Gail Bichler, art director
Brian ReaWhat We’ve Learned in Quarantine‘‘For the Magazine’s special issue on the lessons we’ve learned in isolation, Brian Rea captured the monotony and restlessness of quarantine, bringing levity to a moment marked by anxiety and unease.’’ — Gail Bichler, art director
Tomi UmBored in Quarantine? Here’s a New York Scene You Can Color“A New Yorker’s initial quarantine anxieties are on full display in Tomi’s detail-rich illustration. The broadsheet format was a perfect canvas for many cathartic weekend coloring sessions.” — Michael Houtz, art director
Jillian TamakiAt Home“I often turn to Jillian when we are looking to depict tangled emotional moments. Her solution here felt like a perfect embodiment of the uncertainty and anxiety of the time before the election, when everyone was endlessly doomscrolling.” — Tonya Douraghy, art director
Ohni LisleDating Means Fear. Again.“To accompany a piece by an author who lived through the AIDS crisis, Ohni found a vivid way to express the collision of desire, uncertainty, anxiety and longing that characterizes dating during a pandemic. The strength of this composition — its figures hemmed in, yet held apart — was perfect for a year in which intimacy was a vanishing resource.” — Jim Datz
