Illustration Ambassador @BolognaBookPlus

The Illustration Ambassador is a BolognaBookPlus initiative that celebrates one illustrator each year. Joanna Karpowicz was the inaugural Illustration Ambassador in 2025: this year we have the pleasure of hosting Mari Kanstad Johnsen.

Mari is from Bergen, Norway. She has illustrated close to 30 books, most of them for children, and five of which she has also written. The books have been widely translated and won several awards in Norway and abroad. «Bedtime for Bo» (text by Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold), which is published in English translation by Enchanted Lion Books, was listed as top 10 illustrated books of 2022 by The New York Times and The New York Public Library. «Jeg Rømmer» ( I ́m Out Of Here»), a wordless book written and illustrated by Johnsen, received special mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2017. In addition to making books, Mari also does editorial and other commissioned illustration work with Heart Agency (England/US), with clients such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and MoMa Magazine. She is the creator of this year’s BolognaBookPlus 2026 visual identity, which you will discover in Bologna from 13 to 16 April 2026.

Mari will feature in many events across BolognaBookPlus, including seminars, in conversations and portfolio reviews.

Mari explains the process of designing the creative this year:

"Designing the creative for BCBF and BolognaBookPlus, I worked close with the team at Chialab. We wanted the illustration to be fairly abstract, but also keeping the theme- the books, the encounters, the magical spaces created by literature- in mind, and present in the drawing. In the final, pages, words and text become trees, the fair is a jungle where anything can happen, even getting lost in a book. I wanted to create the drawing with a very analogue feel, using paint and pencils, to connect with the viewer with a personal feel.  In these AI-times, I am even more aware of the power of the handmade! 
I am very much looking forward to discussing illustration and books, and meeting people from different aspects of the illustration and design world. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to see and hear from lots of creative talent, see what is being created,  and what is happening in the world of books outside of my usual environment ! And walks in Bologna city is, of course, always a treat."

Let's discover Mari’s work, from the earliest sketches to the 2026 BolognaBookPlus poster: