The magic of turning feelings into images

Alain Cancilleri, illustrator and visual storyteller, is an artist who captures the essence of emotions. We hosted him in Terrarium for a chat on our bench. A dialogue that explored his creative approach, his artistic philosophy and his long-standing collaboration with Contextus, the translation agency behind Terrarium.

The importance of nature and silence

Cancilleri’s style favours an essential language that reaches all ages. His style not only makes the works accessible to a wide audience, but also allows a depth of interpretation that goes far beyond words. Although Alain lives in the city, a central theme in his work is nature. Natural elements are not only the subject matter for the illustrations but have a profound symbolic value.
Another important element in Cancilleri’s poetics and creative process is silence.

It requires attention, slowness and silence, just like in nature

A special bond that has lasted for years

Alain Cancilleri has been working with the translation agency Contextus since 2017. This partnership has produced nine titles dedicated to sentiment distributed in four markets: Italy, France, Spain and the United States. For these nine titles, Cancilleri has produced around 500 illustrations. Alain told how this collaboration has been characterised by a unique harmony. His ability to translate complex emotions into simple but powerful images is at the heart of these projects. For Alain, art is a means to convey a message. However, each work can be interpreted in different ways by the audience. This openness to interpretation makes his works even more engaging.

‘His ability to transform universal feelings into powerful images perfectly reflects the mission of our art hub,’ reported Luca Taglietti, president of Terrarium.

A special moment in Terrarium

The bench interview was an opportunity to discover the human and creative side of Alain Cancilleri. In the Terrarium venue, surrounded by greenery and quiet, Alain reflected on the importance of slowness and recollection in the creative process. He also shared personal anecdotes about how his family is a valuable source of inspiration.

See also the full interview.