Julia B. Nowikowa is a Berlin-based visual artist and designer with a focus on book design, cover design and illustration, alongside her work in stage design for theatre, opera and contemporary dance. Born in St. Petersburg (Russia), she studied in Hamburg (Germany), where she trained in stage design, theatre studies/dramaturgy and painting. She began her professional path as an assistant designer at Thalia Theater, Deutsches Schauspielhaus and St. Pauli Theater in Hamburg, as well as at the German National Theater & Staatskapelle in Weimar.
Since 2005 she has been working freelance, specialising in editorial and book design for publishing houses: developing visual concepts for books from cover to interior layout, typography, image treatment and print-ready production. Her practice combines illustration and design into cohesive visual narratives — with a strong sensitivity for rhythm, dramaturgy and the relationship between text and image. In parallel, she creates stage designs for selected theatre, opera and contemporary dance projects. As a lecturer and mentor, she has contributed to educational programs such as the German Student Academy and the Festival of Young Artists Bayreuth, and has taught in Georgia.
