The "Bologna Portfolio Award" aims to recognize the illustrator's portfolio as a fundamental tool for professional development, emphasizing its primary role as a means to access new job opportunities and as a communication tool between the illustrator and key players in the publishing industry.
The purpose of the initiative is to highlight those characteristics of the portfolio, such as clarity of presentation and consistency of language, that make it a professional facilitator between the world of creativity and content production (publishers, art directors, agents, etc.).
The award is organised by Bologna Children's Book Fair and curated by Mimaster Illustrazione.
Renewed for the second year at FIL Guadalajara, The Bologna Portfolio Award - FIL25 is open to all illustrators attending a Portfolio Review organized by The Illustrators Survival Corner at the 2025 edition of FIL Guadalajara (29 November to 3 December 2025 at the BCBF stand, International area HH7). For the winner, Bologna Children’s Book Fair offers a trip to Bologna for the next Fair (April 13–16, 2026).
Bologna Children's Book Fair also offeres all those entering the competition a free code to access the 2026 Illustrators Wall.
Following the evaluation by the two Juries involved in the pre-selection and final selection of the Bologna Portfolio Award - FIL25, we are pleased to announce the list of finalists and the winner of a trip to the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2026.
A warm thank you goes to all the illustrators who participated in the portfolio reviews in Mexico during the 2025 Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara, as part of The Illustrators Survival Corner, and who embraced the initiative with renewed enthusiasm.
All participants will receive a complimentary access code for the Illustrators Digital Wall 2026.
List of Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Winner: Luisa F. Arellano
Motivation:
The portfolio of Luisa Arellano stands out for its masterful condensation of communicative and narrative aspects, transforming the portfolio into a genuine piece of storytelling. We particularly appreciated the rhythm of the image sequence, which plays with various formats and angles, as well as the dialogue with the "void" of the page—the white space—which allows the viewer to dive into the image without background noise. The interplay between color and black-and-white imagery also demonstrates precise art direction; nothing is left to chance, and every element contributes to communicating a sharp and effective visual identity. The portfolio’s design is a perfect communication mechanism that guides even the most distracted reader's attention during the browsing experience. Finally, the information provided is exhaustive, discreetly laid out, and easy to consult.
Honorable Mentions: Ina Hristova, Joan X. Vazquez
Sincere thanks to all the professionals who conducted the portfolio reviews during the pre-selection phase of the Bologna Portfolio Award at FIL – Guadalajara 2025:Bergna, Mónica – fondatrice ed editrice, Alboroto Ediciones (Messico)
Finally, our heartfelt thanks to the Jury that selected the final winner from the shortlist of finalists:
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