Jury 2026 Illustrators Exhibition

Sunkyung Cho is a renowned South Korean illustrator and picture book author. Born in Seoul, Cho holds a B.A. in Visual Communication Design from Hongik University, where he also completed his M.A. in "Surrealist Illustration". Extending his expertise internationally, he earned a second M.A. from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in the United States, specializing in "Illustration as Journalism". Cho has taught Illustration at Hongik University and various art colleges. He currently teaches at the SI Picture Book School and runs the picture book publishing house, Somebooks.
In 1995, his picture book Magohalmi (《마고할미》) won the Ministry of Culture and Sports Award in the Illustration category at the 16 th Korean Children’s Book Awards.
Cho has also collaborated on clothing design with fashion designer Jil Sander, and his picture books have been exhibited and sold at the Paul Smith London store and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A). Although an illustrator for magazines, advertisements, and books, Cho’s particular focus remains creating picture books that are both artistic and philosophical. These include Magohalmi; Gianni Schicchi; The Three Little Pigs; Underground Garden; The Blue Bird; Lalala; A Mother's Story; In the Beginning; Kiss; This is not a Stone; The Crow; What is it; Mask; and Face.

Jenni Erkintalo (b. 1978) is a Finnish illustrator, author, and publisher celebrated for her imaginative and visually striking picture books. She is the co-founder and creative lead of Etana Editions, an award-winning, artist-driven publisher shaping a new generation of Finnish children’s literature.

She has written and illustrated ten picture books and three non-fiction books, known for their emotional depth, playful design, and visual storytelling. Worm and the Sea was honoured as a White Raven selection. Her book Who is My Treasure? was nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize 2024, and its illustrations were longlisted for the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition and chosen for the 2025 Bratislava Illustration Biennial to represent Finland. Her works have been translated into multiple languages.

Since launching Etana Editions in 2014, Erkintalo has helped bring around 100 picture books to life. The publisher received the Finnish State Award for Children’s Culture for its influential, artist-led vision and has been nominated twice for the BOP Prize in Bologna and once for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Erkintalo lives by the sea on an island in Helsinki and spends part of her time in the forest. 

Alīse Nīgale, a mother of three, is a passionate children’s book publisher with over 20 years’ experience in the field.
She is the co-founder and managing publisher of Liels un Mazs, an award-winning publishing house in Riga, Latvia, known for its bold, creative approach to children’s literature. At Liels un Mazs, Nigale shapes editorial and export strategies, represents the house at major book fairs, and leads the exchange of translation rights.
Over and above her role in publishing, Nīgale is a driving force in the Latvian book market, serving on the board of the Latvian IBBY section, directing the Jānis Baltvilks Prize, and, since 2020, a board member of the Latvian Publishers’ Association. Internationally, she has participated in numerous fellowships, including the Frankfurt Book Fair programme, and served as a jury member for the Unpublished Picture Books competition. Since 2023, Nīgale has curated the Sigulda Children’s and Youth Literature Festival, and co-founded Lasis, a reading magazine for children.

Daniela Olejníková is an illustrator based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Since graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, she has illustrated nearly two dozen children's and young adult books for both Slovak and international publishers, including Baobab, BRAK, Little Gestalten, and others. She received the 2013 BIB Plaque and the 2017 BIB Golden Apple, along with several awards in the Most Beautiful Book of Slovakia and Most Beautiful Czech Book of the Year competitions. The book Myco - The Complete Reports from the World of Mushrooms (Baobab) - illustrated by Olejníková - won the 2024 Bologna Ragazzi Award in the Non-Fiction category. A long-time collaborator with the civic association Čierne diery (Black Holes), she creates prints depicting forgotten and endangered industrial architecture in Slovakia. She has also worked on experimental Slovak editions of In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan and Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino.

Riccardo Vecchio was born and raised in Milan. In 1994, after studies in Italy and Germany, a Fulbright scholarship gave him a place on the MFA programme of New York’s School of Visual Arts, where he has now been a faculty member since 2003.
Vecchio's work has been published in a wide variety of magazines and other print media in the United States and abroad, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Penguin Putnam, Feltrinelli Editore (Italy), Rolling Stone, Harper's Magazine, National Geographic, The Smithsonian, The Washington Post, and Wired. His multifaceted work has also been published by Harvard and Columbia University, the Criterion Collection, and various theatrical and media outlets.