South London-based artist and illustrator Murugiah has created a striking new visual interpretation of George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece "1984" for Faber's Illustrated Classics series. The project combines the artist's signature bright, surreal style with the dark themes of surveillance and oppression that define Orwell's groundbreaking novel, resulting in a unique artistic vision that makes the classic work accessible to new audiences.
Murugiah, who has previously worked on alternative poster designs for Stanley Kubrick films including "2001: A Space Odyssey," "The Shining," and "A Clockwork Orange," describes his artistic approach as creating "alternative versions of intellectual properties." His distinctive style features brightly colored, surreal compositions with architectural elements that tell complete stories within single images. This architectural influence stems from his educational background, as his parents initially encouraged him to study architecture as a stable creative career path when he was 18.
After seven years of architectural training and a brief stint in the industry during the economic downturn of the late 2000s, Murugiah realized architecture wasn't his true calling and transitioned to freelance creative work in 2013. He began his creative career at greeting card company Scribbler before moving to an in-house position at food chain Leon, eventually finding his voice through experimentation in both commercial and personal creative projects.
For the "1984" cover design, Murugiah drew inspiration from The Polish School of Posters, incorporating bold symbolism, fantasy elements, and geometric patterns. The cover features vibrant colors replacing traditional shadows, anchored by a central eye motif paired with the novel's most famous line: "Big Brother is watching." The artist explains that his inspiration came "mainly from the world we live in today; the constant surveillance and subversive techniques used by the powers that be to try to control us."
The creative process involved developing two different wrap-around cover designs using his iPad, mirrored to Photoshop on his desktop through Astropad software. Murugiah was simultaneously exploring acrylic painting in his personal practice and successfully pitched incorporating hand-painted elements into the final design to Faber. The visible brushwork in the background provides what he calls "a nice juxtaposition to the themes of the novel," reflecting the individuality that Big Brother seeks to suppress while highlighting Orwell's hint of optimism found in the novel's appendix.
The hand-painted cover creation process began with Murugiah recreating his digital mockups onto heavy watercolor paper using red ink. After completing the ink drawings, he taped them to a drawing board where he dripped paint and moved the paper around, applying randomized brush strokes to create a richly textured background wash that responded to the natural flow of the paint. "Working in this intuitive way is an incredibly rewarding process that only a human being working by hand can do," Murugiah notes. The cover was then finished with black line work and additional paint before being scanned and digitally applied to Faber's template.
For the interior illustrations, Faber requested black-and-white artwork to maintain consistency with other books in the series, including reimagined editions of "The Bell Jar" and "The Great Gatsby." This constraint pushed Murugiah outside his comfort zone, requiring him to abandon his typically bright color palette. He carefully selected key moments from the novel to illustrate, ensuring cohesion with the endpapers through consistent textures and mark-making techniques.
The back cover depicts protagonist Winston running in terror under Big Brother's watchful eye, an image Murugiah considers particularly important to execute properly. "It's haunting and messed up!" he describes. The illustrations serve as a visual guide that follows the reader's natural journey through the book, exploring themes of surveillance, oppression, and resistance that remain strikingly relevant to contemporary society.
Murugiah expresses particular pride in participating in Faber's illustrated series, which reintroduces classic literature to new generations through fresh artistic perspectives. "1984" holds special significance for the artist, and his visual interpretation offers readers a new lens through which to experience Orwell's prophetic warnings about totalitarianism and the erosion of individual freedom.
Looking ahead, Murugiah has additional literary projects in development and will present his first solo exhibition at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in May 2026. The illustrated edition of "Nineteen Eighty-Four" is currently available for purchase through Faber's online shop, offering readers an opportunity to experience one of literature's most influential dystopian novels through the vibrant, thought-provoking vision of a contemporary artist who understands both the power of visual storytelling and the enduring relevance of Orwell's warnings.
