Nina Masina
A Life in Art and Illustration
Aleksandra Nina Knezevic, professionally known as Nina Mašina, is a Sarajevo-born illustrator and designer whose career spans more than two decades. With a portfolio encompassing designs for Nobel laureates and literary classics, her passion for storytelling through visual art has continually evolved. Over time, Nina expanded her creative pursuits into children’s literature, where she has brought to life some of the most iconic stories, including the Harry Potter book series for the Bosnian publisher Buybook.
Her work combines traditional hand-drawn techniques with digital innovation, blending ink, watercolors, colored pencils, and digital rendering. This hybrid approach gives her art both tactile warmth and contemporary versatility. Her visual language is described as one that speaks universally, using playful typography and graphic forms that transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Inspirations and Artistic Philosophy
Nina Mašina’s creative vision is deeply influenced by her multicultural upbringing and a vast array of global artistic traditions. She draws inspiration from Persian miniatures, African and Persian art, sacred geometry, and movements like Dadaism, Surrealism, and the Russian Avant-garde. Artists such as Paul Klee, Mattotti, Folon, Audrey Bradsley, Tamara Lempicka, and David Hockney have deeply shaped her style.
For Nina, illustrating book covers is a journey into emotion and identity. She immerses herself in the literary world before sketching, seeking to uncover the central mood and themes of a story. Her covers aim to evoke curiosity, even for those already familiar with the book. Each creation reflects a rich emotional tapestry, often inspired by the dreamlike and intricate forms found in illuminated manuscripts or the architectural wonders of her native Sarajevo.
The Magic of the Harry Potter Covers
One of Nina’s proudest achievements is her long-running project: illustrating the Bosnian editions of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Over a decade, she has worked on seven editions and produced an exclusive collector's box set. Her designs quickly caught the attention of fans and collectors from around the globe, who began requesting original sketches and personalized dedications.
Nina’s approach to the Harry Potter covers is deeply interpretative. Rather than mirroring the well-known aesthetics of the films, she delves into the emotional landscape of each book. Her illustrations aim to communicate the soul of the narrative through abstract forms and symbolic textures. Before beginning her design work, she consults her dreams, memories, and visual motifs that speak to her subconscious understanding of the stories.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The cover of the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, presented Nina with a delightful challenge: selecting which of the book's many compelling details to portray. After creating several cover sketches, the creative team in the UK chose one with strong emotional resonance. Although a small illustration of Alastor Moody had to be removed, the final cover stood as a compelling representation of the book's themes.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Final Chapter
As she began work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Nina acknowledged the emotional difficulty of concluding a project that had become such a central part of her creative life. The final book represented the end of an era, not just for Harry and his friends, but for Nina’s long artistic journey within this universe. Yet, she approached the project with the same dedication and passion that had defined her work from the beginning.
Bridging Past and Present
Nina’s use of traditional techniques in an era dominated by artificial intelligence and digital automation is a powerful artistic statement. For her, the act of hand-drawing and the selection of paper textures and brushes offer a meditative process that deepens the emotional impact of her illustrations. She reveres historical sources of inspiration such as the Sarajevo Haggadah, one of the world’s oldest illuminated manuscripts, which serves as a symbol of her connection to heritage and visual storytelling.
A Legacy of Emotion and Imagination
Through her work, Nina Mašina has connected generations of readers with literature in deeply personal and evocative ways. Her Harry Potter covers are not just decorative interpretations but visual portals into the emotional depth and narrative magic of J.K. Rowling’s universe. Her journey from Sarajevo to the global stage of Harry Potter fandom reflects not just artistic talent but a passion for human connection through art.
As she looks forward to new projects, Nina continues to explore identity, transformation, and emotion in her art—and to enchant readers with every brushstroke and pixel.