| I decided to become an illustrator when I was a child.
I think I was about ten years old, or maybe less. I went on a school visit to a museum where there were a lot of ancient illuminated books, all hand painted by Reinassance monks. When I saw those blues... the golds...the paper... I was ligtening struck, gripped by this emotion. I immediately rushed to my teacher and told her: "I know what I will do when I grow up!" But she laughed and answered, "that sort of work does'nt exist any more". I didn't believe her at all, and I went on filling my exercise book with words, drawings, colours and images from my inner world. |
 |
I have been a professional illustrator since 1988, earning a living from my passion and my childhood dream. My books have been translated into more than twenty languages. My drawings have been exhibited in the National Gallery in London, in the Hitabashi Museum of Tokio, and in several cities in the United States, England, France, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan and Italy. My works have been used to make television documentaries, cd-roms, interactive guides, and theatre shows. Several musicians have composed music inspired by the tales I have written. All this is more than a job to me, it is a powerful energy that I feel is still very alive, which I try to pass on when I do courses in schools, prisons, for teachers; it is the love for art and beauty. |
 |
