Felicita Sala
Illustrator
Rome, Italy
A journey of colour with every flip
- Felicita creates illustrations using watercolours, pencils, gouache and pastels
- She is an award-winning author of children's picture books
- Her favourite subjects to depict are children and the elderly
Born in Rome and raised in Australia, Felicita Sala has been passionate about drawing and painting since childhood. Because there was no clear educational path for aspiring illustrators in the early 2000s, she studied literature and philosophy instead before eventually finding her way to illustration. “During a short stay in Rome in 2005, I met artists who shared a studio in Trastevere. This encounter opened up a whole new world to me: that of children’s picture books,” Felicita explains. From then on, she taught herself how to illustrate stories in a richly textured and pencilled style. Today, Felicita mainly works with watercolours and coloured pencils, as well as gouache and wax and oil pastels.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
I draw inspiration from people, with children and the elderly being my primary subjects. In a picture book, regardless of the target audience, illustrations serve the narrative and carry as much weight as the text. Drawings must be as effective as words.
Visually, I carry within me Australia’s wide open spaces, wild nature, giant trees and long roads. On a literary level, I was steeped in Anglophone literature, falling in love with the storytelling, subtle humour and playfulness of language.
I am influenced by the classics of children’s picture books, having studied their history and stylistic evolution. However, I still continually seek creative freedom to break free from the past, which is why I draw so much inspiration from contemporary art.
In 2020, I won the Best Illustrator award at the Premio Andersen in Italy. Having returned to Italy in 2007 after years working abroad, receiving this recognition affirmed how much my practice has evolved.
Felicita Sala
Illustrator
Rome, Italy
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Rome, Italy
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Italian, French, English
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