Born in 1981, illustrator, graphic designer and author of children’s books. In 2006, she graduated (with honours) from the Department of Book Design and Illustration at the Faculty of Graphic Arts, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
She is the author of picture books for the youngest (Liczby [Numbers], Kolory [Colours] and Przeciwieństwa [Opposites]) inspired by native folklore. Reaching for elements of folk aesthetics is a theme gesture in her work – we see it, of course, in her book Cuda Wianki. Polski Folklor dla Młodszych i Starszych [Cuda Wianki: Polish Folklore for the Younger and for the Older] (2015), in her later publication Cuda-niewidy. Zagadki dla Młodszych i Starszych [Cuda-niewidy: Riddles for the Younger and for the Older] (2017), and in the illustrations to the folk tales compiled by Justyna Bednarek, entitled Maryjki. Opowieści o Matce Boskiej [Maryjki: Tales of the Virgin Mary] (2021). Her illustrations have also been featured on clothes, accessories and booklets from the Kochamy Folk [We Love Folk] collection of the Chmurrra Burrra brand, which combines aesthetics created by the best Polish illustrators with good quality products for children.
Together with Zofia Stanecka – responsible for the text content – she created a series of books about the five-year-old Basia, described as ‘the heroine of all preschoolers’. The series consists of Basia and Money, Basia and Rubbish, Basia and Sickness – all episodes present topics that may seem difficult for a young person in an accessible way. ‘I wanted, on the basis of the whole text, to create a character that was expressive and recognisable from the beginning, so that there would be no temptation to change her when working on subsequent volumes,’ said the creator of the illustrations in an interview with Ewelina Trzaskowska from the Czas Dzieci portal.
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Marianna Oklejak, 'Cuda-niewidy: Riddles for the Younger and for the Older', Egmont, photo: press material
She illustrated Roksana Jędrzejewska-Wróbel’s book series: Siedmiu Wspaniałych i Sześć Innych, Nie Całkiem Nieznanych Historii [The Magnificent Seven and Six Other Not Quite Unknown Storie]s (2019) and Siedem Szczęśliwych. Baśnie Nie Dość Znane [The Happy Seven: Fairy Tales Not Known Enough] (2022), as well as the book Królewna [The Princess] by the same author. The Magnificent Seven... and The Princess are award-winning entries in the Empik competition for the Best Children’s Book ‘Przecinek i Kropka’ and included in the Golden List of ‘All of Poland Reads to Children’.
Her works have been awarded and honoured many times: in 2011 she received graphic distinctions from the Polish section of the IBBY for three works (for illustrations to Janusz Korczak’s books King Matt the First and King Matt on a Desert Island and for illustrations and graphic design of the book Boom! Boom! Boom!!! (with text by Przemek Wechterowicz). A year later, the book Jestem Miasto. Warszawa [I am a City. Warsaw] with its illustrations and text by Aleksandra Szkoda won the graphic design prize in the Book of the Year competition of the Polish section of the IBBY, as well as a nomination from the adult jury and a mention from the children’s jury for the Donga Award. In 2015, the publication Cuda Wianki. Polski Folklor dla Młodszych i Starszych, created entirely by Oklejak, won the graphic design award for Book of the Year, and was also included on the Children’s Book Museum’s Treasures List. The book she illustrated, Boom! Boom! Boom!!!, also appeared on the list.
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In 2010, Oklejak became a finalist in the 3rd CJ Picture Book Awards in Seoul thanks to her illustrations for the book Łajdaczek [Rascal]. In 2017, she became one of the fifty finalists of the Shanghai Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition (for her book Cuda Wianki...), and in the same year, she was honoured at the 5th Tallinn Illustration Triennale. The year 2021 made a place for her on the shortlist of distinguished illustrators and illustrators in the Nami Concours (for her series of illustrations Listen! Who's Speaking?).
Her illustrations have been presented at exhibitions in Budapest, Tallinn and in many Polish galleries and cultural institutions, among others. She was among the artists participating in the exhibition Masters of Polish Illustration organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and presented in Suncheon and Seoul, South Korea.
Originally written in Polish by Marcelina Obarska, translated by Patryk Grabowski, July 2022.