Elena Odriozola Belástegui

Elena Odriozola is an illustrator specialized in children’s and youth literature. She received the National Illustration Award in 2015, awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

She began her creative journey illustrating textbooks before moving on to stories, forging her career path slowly but surely. She admits that illustration was something that came to her by itself, as if it were her unstoppable destiny, and that she will keep on doing it as long as she enjoys it. Her illustrations are characterized by delicate, intimate strokes and a soft and limited color palette that's used effectively both technically and conceptually.

Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards, including the Second Prize from the Spanish Ministry of Culture for the Best Children's and Youth Books published in 2005 for La princesa que bostezaba a todas horas, and an award at the third edition of the CJ Picture Book Awards (South Korea) for Oda a una estrella. Her work was also selected for the exhibition Ilustrísimos when Spain was guest of honor at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2005, where she exhibited again in 2010.