“The Sundsvall Oligarch”, by Knut Kainz Rognerud, tells the story of Oleg Deripaska, a close associate of Vladimir Putin and one of the world’s richest men. His love of karate and yoga, going to the ballet and quoting Tolstoy, and hosting lavish parties for world leaders; but also the murky origins of his vast wealth in money laundering, blackmail, theft and murder, and the west’s willingness to turn a blind eye and accept his billion-dollar investments in return for influence.

I pictured a charm bracelet in my illustration to reflect the ostentatious wealth of Deripaska’s world, and to represent the interconnected nature of the elements in his story. The illustration was drawn in black pencil and white ink on toned paper, and the colours were made as a separate acrylic painting.

”The Sundsvall Oligarch” was nominated for the prestigious literary prize Augustpriset in 2023.

Published by Mondial Förlag.
Graphic design by Eva Wilsson.