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The WIA is presented by the Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with the Directory of Illustration, championing, showcasing and celebrating great illustration from around the globe, with the shortlist divided into Professional and New Talent categories, the latter making up around one third of the 200-strong shortlist, whittled down from 4,500 entries across 80 countries.
Duoduo Wang studied BA (Hons) Illustration and graduated this year, while Livvy Seabrook-Wilkins studied BA (Hons) Animation and graduated in 2025; they were both 'Shortlisted' New Talent entries in the Animation category.
Originally from China, Duoduo responded to the What’s so funny brief by creating an animated short titled How to Pass as a Human. Framed as an alien broadcast it follows Mr E’s attempt to mimic human behaviour, but repeatedly getting it wrong. Her film was 'Highly Commended'.
Duoduo said of the project: “The film combines a serious format with surreal visuals and physical comedy, offering a playful and distinctive take on humour.
“It was created using Adobe After Effects as the main production tool. The visuals combine slime materials, hand-drawn textures and live-action facial features, using collage-like techniques to create an uncanny yet humorous visual style.”
Livvy 'Shortlisted' project was also her graduate film, Strokes of Wildflowers, which was dedicated to her grandmother, who suffered multiple strokes. The film used 2D hand-drawn animation, which she created with charcoal, paint and ink on paper.
Livvy explained: “I wanted to create a film about the aftermath of having a stroke and highlight the importance of community within recovery.
“I interviewed my grandmother and stroke survivors who attended the Stroke Club. I wanted to share their stories as they don’t have the means to do so themselves.”
Finally, Beatriz Lostalé, a UCA Illustration lecturer, was shortlisted in the Professional and Site-Specific category. Her 'Highly Commended' project was a commission by Shake Shack in Cambridge, creating illustrations for the building’s external hoarding and the restaurant’s interior murals.
Beatriz added: “I depicted various green spaces, parks and commons of Cambridge, merged to create a whimsical portrayal of the city.”
View all the winner and highly commended projects on the WIA website.
To learn more about studying at UCA, visit the course pages.
Follow Duoduo @feitianxiaotudou_ and Livvy @lseabrook_animation