Ukrainian artist-illustrator Maria Haiduk emerged victorious at the 59th Bologna Illustrators Exhibition, held during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
This was reported on the fair's official website.
A student from Kherson studying at the Lviv National Academy, she received the award for her project "Killing Gods," which explores the issue of ecocide and humanity's relationship with nature.
The jury praised Maria Haiduk for her work and the potential for her creative development, describing her balance of boldness and sensitivity.
She became the youngest winner of the exhibition.
"I sincerely hope that this will draw more attention to the genocide humans commit against nature and animals. I am grateful to my mentors Ivan Sergeyev (Serbia) and Nina Ignatova (Spain) for their guidance, and to Vitaliy Zemlyansky (Switzerland), a doctor of bioecological sciences at Zurich University, for his help in writing the academic text", wrote the young artist.
This year, winners were selected from 4,374 illustrators from 89 countries, with a total of 21,870 illustrations submitted. The final award featured 324 artists, including five illustrators from Ukraine: Maria Haiduk, Oksana Drachkovska, Sofia Kupriyanova, Anna Ivanenko, and Olesya Sekeres.
About the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition
In 2024, winners included Ukrainians Polina Doroshenko and Oksana Domashich.
The Bologna Illustrators Exhibition was established in 1967 and takes place annually, showcasing the latest trends in illustration.
All artists’ works are published in the Illustrators Annual, a large catalog for publishers and illustrators worldwide, filled with commentary from jury members. The publication is available in Italian and English, and is also published in Japanese by JBBY, in Korea by CCOC, and in China by Dandelion Picture Book House. After the fair, the exhibition travels internationally to museums, galleries, and important libraries in Japan, Korea, China, and other countries.
The exhibition is organized as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy.
