14th Biennial of Slovenian Illustration

Cankarjev dom has been organizing the Biennial of Slovenian Illustration together with the Union of Slovenian Fine Arts Associations – ZDSLU since 1993. This comprehensive overview of Slovenian illustration has been bringing together older and younger generations of illustrators for more than a quarter-century. The Hinko Smrekar award, as well as Hinko Smrekar plaques and accolades recognize the achievements of Slovenian illustrations.

Maintaining high standards of creativity and testifying to the excellence of Slovenian illustration, the event showcases new artistic approaches and the latest methods and techniques employed in illustration: re-imagined painting techniques, illustration incorporating elements of film, comic strip, animated film, electronic media and other advanced technologies.

The exhibition thus provides an invaluable platform for recognising the importance of illustration, an artform decisively co-shaping – in its major children’s book segment – the visual perception and understanding of young readers, and having a responsible role in education – as a pictorial language co-creating human consciousness and enhancing the development of artistic sensibility.

Previous winners of the Hinko Smrekar Award – the Biennial’s main prize – are: Marija Lucija Stupica (two-time winner), Dušan Muc, Rudi Skočir, Zvonko Čoh, Jelka Godec Schmidt, Alenka Sottler, Kostja Gatnik, Danijel Demšar, Peter Škerl, Hana Stupica, Damijan Stepančič and Milan Erič.


The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive catalogue featuring all participating artists and the Lifetime Achievement Award laureate. The Biennial’s visual identity is based on an illustration by the last recipient of the Hinko Smrekar Award, this time Milan Erič’s.