Personal exhibition from a beloved Italian illustrator Alessandra Manfredi will open in the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre from August 2nd, 2021. The exhibition is available to visitors during the opening hours of the centre until August 23rd.
Alessandra Manfredi belongs to the middle generation of most well-known and esteemed Italian illustrators. Her delicate illustrations with a touch of the surreal can be found in picture books created for small children, as well as books dealing with heavier topics such as ecological problems and the environmental crisis. The illustrator is fascinated with animals and she depicts them with a rare richness of expression. She hopes to pass the love of animals to her children as well.
The artist mostly uses color pencil technique that has always fascinated her. In an interview to the webpage Kube she says: “Until a couple of years ago I also worked a lot in digital, but the pencil has always been my passion, since I was a child. I really liked the contrast that was created between the shaded pencil and the flat colors of the digital pantones.”
Viive Noor, the art expert of the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre says that she is mesmerized by the way that Manfredi can combine big clean surfaces with the richness of detail. “Her pictures are filled with tension, yet they speak of harmony. She knows how to stress what is important but will always leave an opportunity for discovery. Her illustrations have tiny details that are thought through, unique thoughts and points-of-view. She depicts though topics with care, she doesn’t lecture her audience but makes it think and feel,” Noor added.
Alessandra Manfredi is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. After studying Painting Restoration at the University of Urbino, she attended the Art & Message school in Milan, as well as various advanced courses at the S. Zavrel International School of Illustration in Sarmede. She has participated in exhibitions and competitions in Italy and abroad.
The Estonian audience has had the opportunity to see her work at the Tallinn Illustration Triennial in 2020.
More info at the artist’s Instagram page.
