Maria Dek
Living and working in Białowieża, in the middle of the oldest forest in Europe, Polish author and illustrator Maria Dek invites children to her favorite place—the undiscovered world of nature—in the pages of her books. Maria uses the traditional technique of watercolor to create her original, amusing, and expressive illustrations. She loves playing with the absurd and stirring the reader's imagination.
After earning art degrees from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and University of the Arts, London, Maria wrote and illustrated her first children's picture book, A Walk in the Forest (2016), which received a starred review in Kirkus. Her books, Quand Je Serai Grand and La Souris Qui Voulait Faire une Omelette by Davide Calì (hélium éditions, 2016 and 2017) have been translated into five languages. Mais où a filé Malo la Musaraigne? (hèlium éditions, 2018) is about a selfish shrew whose naughty behavior affects those all around him, including himself. The illustrations from the book were selected for Ilustrarte 2018. She’s written and illustrated When I’m Bigger (Princeton Architectural Press, 2021), and is the illustrator of Où finit le monde by Davide Calì (hélium editions, 2020) and Voilà la Pluie by Matthieu Pierloot (Comme des Géants, 2020). Maria conducts illustration workshops for children throughout Europe.
Click here to read Maria's Mini Proust Q&I (Question and Illustration) inspired by the Proust Questionnaire.
