Taiwan illustrator Cho Pei-hsin was named winner of the 2021 International Award for Illustration at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, according to the Ministry of Culture June 17.
Cho’s work was among a total of 3,235 submissions from 68 countries contending for top honors at the 59th edition of the event in Italy.
Inspired by the phenomenon of trees from the same species leaving river-like gaps in the canopy to avoid crowding each other, Cho created “Crown Shyness” using graphite, the MOC said. The behavior resonated with the artist because it reminded her of social distancing practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry added.
The honor was announced following fellow illustrator Lin Lian-en’s BolognaRagazzi Award in the fiction category for her book “Home” and a special mention for Animo Chen’s collection of illustrated poems entitled “Love Letter,” the MOC said.
According to the MOC, the jury said in a statement that Cho shows great potential in her ability to visually explore and record emotions and shapes in surprising ways, inviting the audience to spend time pondering the world she has created. Cho was selected because of the energy she conveys through the lines in her work and her intensely layered sense of space and page, the statement added.
Launched in 1963, BCBF is one of the most important international events dedicated to children’s publishing and the multimedia industry. Its International Award for Illustration was established in 2009 for illustrators under 35 years of age to nurture and support emerging talent. (DL-E)
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