Non—childish fairy tales by Nicoletta Ceccoli - masters of disturbing illustrations

Nicoletta Ceccoli, an artist from San Marino, has chosen the profession of illustrator of children's books. Her works adorn the books of more than 20 Italian, as well as several foreign publications. In 2001, Nicoletta was deservedly awarded the Andersen Prize as the best children's artist of the year, and in 2002 she was awarded the Award of Excellence from Communication Art (USA). But we will introduce you to the very unchildlike side of Ceccoli's work.

The illustrator from San Marino is known not only as the creator of cute idyllic pictures with kids on lawns and fluffy clouds. There are also quite strange, sometimes even creepy works in her creative baggage. Some of them are so imbued with mysticism that they were used to create tarot card decks.

Ceccoli's illustrations from the mystical series are designed in pastel colors and, on a cursory examination, seem to be only pictures from an encyclopedia for young princesses, but if you look closely ... a sleepy, melancholic world inhabited by surreal creatures comes to life in Nicoletta's paintings. In this small suffocating universe, time has stopped, and the laws of physics and common sense practically do not work.

Many of those who viewed the artist's work complained of an inexplicable feeling of anxiety. The children in Nicoletta's paintings are frighteningly calm, despite the creatures surrounding them, similar to the creations of Hieronymus Bosch's fantasy.

It is quite possible that the master's works are filled with symbolism, but their essence, most often, is inaccessible to the viewer. Or maybe Ceccoli doesn't put any meaning into his work and only plays with his imagination?

Isn't it true, very unusual fantasies, as for the best children's illustrator of 2001?