Peng Hsiung, a student of the Studio of Illustration and Graphics at UMPRUM’s English-language Visual Arts program, originally from Taiwan, has reached the finals of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair competition. The jury was captivated by his series of illustrations Love and Its Complications.
“Between my mother and me, there is a constant effort to support one another—yet somehow, in the end, we both walk away wounded. A visual narrative on the beautiful, painful reality of kinship,” explains Peng Hsiung, describing the theme of his work. The complex relationship is expressed through an anthropomorphized form, using the story of horses.
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair has a tradition spanning more than 60 years, discovering new trends and emerging talents in the world of illustration. For the Illustrators Exhibition 2026, a total of 4,158 illustrators submitted 20,790 illustrations from 95 countries and regions. The international jury shortlisted 317 finalists, among whom was Peng Hsiung.
