The illustrator Cristina Sampaio has been awarded a prize, including a monetary amount of 10,000 euros, and is now featuring in an exhibition at the Centro Internacional das Artes José de Guimarães. The exhibition showcases some of the most representative works of her career, under the title “A linha clara”.
This “linha clara” emerges from the pencil and ink drawings in comic strips and syndicated newspaper comics, spanning her two decades of children’s books that evolve from gouaches to digital ‘Illustrator’, finally culminating in an inexhaustible source of political commentary that characterizes her professional work today, as highlighted by the biennial.
Cristina Sampaio has been working as an illustrator and cartoonist since the 1980s, with a long list of collaborations in national and international press and published work for children. She has received several awards, including the World Press Cartoon and the Stuart Prize for press design. She is also part of the animated cartoon collective SpamCartoon.
This marks the fifth edition of the BIG Biennial, which commenced today with the inauguration of several exhibitions across Guimarães and the presentation of other awards recognizing illustration work in Portugal, notably the Revelation Prize and the Acquisition Prize.
Illustrator and designer Madalena Matoso, who won the biennial’s Grand Prize in 2023, also has an exhibition in Guimarães, alongside painter Ilda David, who presents drawings made for the book “Amor de Perdição” by Camilo Castelo Branco.
Tonight, at the Centro Cultural Vila Flor, musicians Rodrigo Leão and Gabriel Gomes, along with designer António Jorge Gonçalves, will debut a performance that combines musical creation and digital drawing in real time.
The Biennial of Illustration of Guimarães was established to offer visibility to creators working in the field of illustration in Portugal through exhibitions, talks, workshops, involving professionals and students, and the distribution of awards.
Under the artistic direction of the author Tiago Manuel, the BIG – Biennial of Illustration of Guimarães is organized by the Guimarães City Hall with the cultural association MOTOR and will conclude on December 31.
