Best of Bologna: Edgiest Artists of the 2008 International Children's Book Fair

Original Exhibit: July 8 – October 8, 2009:
Deering Library, Third Floor
Permanent Exhibit: Completed October 2010:
Main Library, Fourth Floor

Nina Blychert Wisnia
Born: Sollentuna, Sweden
Currently resides in:
London, Great Britain
Preferred Technique:
Drawing, collage, photomontage,
print-making





Published Titles
Trolls de Dents
Editions du Rouergue, Rodez

Personal Statement

I want children to not only to view my books but also to read them with their own imaginations. This is one reason I include so many details in my illustrations that are not necessarily found in the text. In my book illustrations I use photomontage, printmaking, drawing and painting. I want children to feel that both stories and dreams are real; with photomontage, I can create this sense of reality. Scale is important to me. Children are small, but being small does not necessarily indicate one is less important, strong, or successful. The small size of the troll in this story is very important. I want children to sympathize with the trolls rather than be scared by them. At the same time I strive to create a playful event out of ordinary events that can be quite boring, like the nightly brushing of one's teeth.

I want to make children laugh, dream and imagine. I want to surprise them, and draw them away from the common, conservative forms used in illustration and into a world that is far more unusual. I think picture books play an important role in the world of all children and the development of their minds. These books consciously and unconsciously ask children questions about the self, who they are, what they will be, and present a world where they can perhaps see themselves in the future. Illustration will always inspire children to create their own fantastical worlds of imaginative existence. My aim is to enhance these worlds with the use of different extremes and humor.