Award-winning works
The Jury of the 12th Edition of the Notte di Fiaba Illustration Contest gathered to evaluate the many works submitted on the theme Tarzan. The overall level of the projects proved to be particularly high, with a widespread ability to interpret in a personal and contemporary way the relationship between humankind and nature, between instinct and imagination. After careful consideration, we are pleased to announce the winners and special mentions of this edition.
As already demonstrated in the previous edition, Andra Calligaro confirms an extraordinary maturity in conceiving the illustrated book as a complete, coherent and fully resolved organism. The project stands out for its balance and restraint in the use of space and color, as well as for the refined integration of digital languages—charcoal and collage—reinterpreted in a personal way, overcoming any technical rigidity. The result is a warm, immersive and highly engaging visual universe, capable of moving the reader and guiding them through a fluid and continuous narrative. The strength of the work lies in a full awareness of the book as a medium: each spread dialogues with the next in a perfectly calibrated rhythm, demonstrating a rare mastery in the field of children’s illustration. A project of great quality, confirming a solid, recognizable and already fully mature talent.
Piero Sandano’s work stands out for the extraordinary quality of his drawing and for a very high level of technical mastery, evident in the handling of perspective, architecture and anatomy. The storyboard distinguishes itself through a rich and articulated narrative construction, capable of intertwining the main story with a multitude of micro-narratives that populate the spreads with great sensitivity and compositional intelligence. The directorial choices, often bold and surprising—as seen in the final spread—bring rhythm and dynamism to the story, while the conscious use of black and white enhances the expressive strength of the line and the depth of chiaroscuro. The project successfully conveys the world of Tarzan with irony and delicacy, building a dense, engaging and visually compelling narrative.
Marianna Romani presents a storyboard of great richness and complexity, capable of sustaining an articulated and deeply immersive narrative. The drawing reveals a solid knowledge of anatomy and proportions, allowing her to construct both human and animal characters with natural ease, placed within dynamic and always credible compositions. The spreads are infused with a strong sense of movement and a remarkable attention to detail, elements that expand the narrative potential of the text and stimulate the reader’s imagination. A generous and energetic work that demonstrates notable design ability and a broad, structured narrative vision.
Discover the past editions of the competition
Notte di Fiaba Illustration Contest was born in 2014 on the initiative of Enzo Bassetti, Honorary President of Notte di Fiaba, and was conceived and designed by Chiara Tomasi, Artistic Director of the Contest, with the support of Professor Livio Sossi, one of the most authoritative European scholars of children's literature and illustration.
