Adela Režná is a recent graduate of the Studio of Illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design under prof. Dušan Kállay.
She focuses on illustration for children and has created the following books: Marínka Somarinka (Marina, the Silly Little Girl, 2014), Things Not Seen by the Naked Eye (2016), Denník Majky z Majáka (Maya’s Lighthouse Diary, 2017), Stratený zajko v Paríži (Lost Bunny in Paris, 2017) and Na výlete (On a Trip, 2018). Cukrové topánky (Sugar Shoes), her artistic debut, was published in 2018. We can also find her work in other interesting projects such as Inakosti slovenské (bedeker pre cudzincov; Slovak Otherness, A Baedeker for Foreigners), Bratislava v sto slovách (Bratislava in a Hundred Words), An Athlete’s Training Diary (magazine on sports), Omaľovánka 2.0. (2.0. Coloring Book). She regularly cooperates with the Čierne Diery organization, Egreš Studio and companies such as Slovenská sporiteľňa Bank. She designed illustrations for the interior of an ice skating rink in Kuwait and every year she is involved in the creation of the Pomimo comics almanac. Her illustrations can also be found in the Slniečko and Bublina children magazines. In 2015, she participated in an internship at Plymouth University in England and several collective exhibitions. She regularly prepares workshops for children and is currently working on several new books and the campaign for Horalky, the popular Slovak wafer bar.
The children’s book Strakáč a Tioni (Spotty and Tioni), written by Daniel Rušar is one of her current projects. It is the story of small boy who finds out that he has white spots (vitiligo – skin defect, loss of pigment) on his entire body. It is an unconventional and provocative topic for sharing experiences between parents and child and at the same time for the support of skin diseases and otherness.
The aim is to find strength in laughter and perspective in difficult situations. Laughter brings relief and reduces stress, which adults frequently forget about as they try to resolve everything with reason. It is also a powerful tool for finding friends. Accepting one’s own image is one of the most effective methods for achieving self-respect and self-awareness. The book shows children how a disadvantage can be turned into an advantage (a weakness into a strength).
This is the first children’s book on vitiligo in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Slovak and Czech editions will be released in June by the Slniečkovo and Albatros publishing houses.
Ján Jožiov
Adela Režná was born on June 3, 1992 in Myjava. From 2007 to 2011 she studied at the Secondary Arts School in Trenčín, before studying in Prague. She is a recent graduate of the Studio of Illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design under prof. Dušan Kállay. She also participated in a six-month internship at Plymouth University in England. Currently she lives and works in Bratislava.
Despite her young age, she has won several important awards, and participated in many collective and solo exhibitions. These days, she works at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava as an assistant at the studio of illustration. Her work is predominantly focused on illustrations for books and children’s magazines.
