ILLUSTRATIONS created by a University of Worcester student feature in a prestigious exhibition which has opened at The Hive in Worcester.

Amanda Summers’ creative works which depict Second World War evacuees will be displayed as part of International Lemniscaat Illustration Competition Exhibition, which is touring worldwide.

Work from 12 prize winners, who were selected from more than 700 entries, will be exhibited and showcase the “magical world of picture books” using a rich variety of techniques, subject matters and media.

The 20-year-old Worcester student, who is in her final year of the university’s illustration course, said: “I was really surprised when I found out I was one of the winners of the Lemniscaat 2014 competition, considering how many people submitted their illustrations.

“It was a fantastic experience to get to travel to Rotterdam for the opening of the exhibition, meet the other 11 finalists and attend the masterclass by my lecturer Piet Grobler.”

The competition is the first collaboration between Lemniscaat, the largest publisher of children’s books in the Netherlands, the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam, the University of Worcester’s illustration course and its International Centre for the Picture Book in Society.

Jean Boele, director of Lemniscaat, who attended the opening of the exhibition at The Hive, said: “Picture books are a child’s first entrance into the realms of art and imagination.

“Everyone, young or old, no matter what circumstances he or she lives in, should be able to enter the wonderful world of picture books.

“This is why the University of Worcester’s International Centre for the Picture Book in Society is unique and indispensable - it strives to make this world accessible to everyone across the globe.”

Piet Grobler, joint course leader and senior lecturer in illustration at the University of Worcester, said: “The exhibition, as a first collaborative project of the International Centre for the Picture Book in Society and the illustration course, is a great success.

“The space in The Hive lends itself so well to an exhibition of this nature and guarantees many visitors because of the importance of The Hive as a social centre.

“Amanda being one of the 12 winners is a wonderful bonus. Her work is interesting and is also of academic interest, as it is a response to the stories by evacuees of the Second World War.”

The exhibition is open daily at The Hive until Monday, November 10, and will then tour to Shanghai and The Hague.