Valladolid-based artist wins the Liber 2026 Illustration Competition
A design by Cinta Arribas will become the visual identity of Liber 2026
Valladolid-based illustrator Cinta Arribas has won the Liber 2026 Illustration Competition with a contemporary design that will become the official visual identity of the International Book Fair, to be held from 29 September to 1 October at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue. Her proposal was selected for its ability to convey the spirit of Liber as a space that connects people, cultures and generations through books.
Arribas holds a degree in Fine Arts from Salamanca and Kassel (Germany) and has built a solid professional career in illustration, combining editorial projects with work for the press and advertising campaigns. She is a regular contributor to El País and has worked on commissions for international media outlets and brands such as The New York Times, Google, Camper and Courrier International, among others.
“With my illustration, I wanted to show—through a rhythmic and colourful composition—a diverse group of characters who meet, engage in dialogue and discover connections through books. I portray the fair as a space for exchange and encounter between different generations and cultures,” explains the artist.
Cinta Arribas’ work stands out for its versatile and personal visual language, with a special focus on storytelling and character development capable of generating emotion. Her creative process combines the use of Indian ink and traditional techniques, which she later refines digitally, playing with textures and contrasts.
Her work has recently been selected and exhibited by the Society of Illustrators in New York. Among the distinctions she has received are the APIM Award in the General Category (2024), an honourable mention at the ABC Museum’s Press Illustration Competition (2023), an honourable mention in the 11th Ibero-American Illustration Catalogue (2020) and a special mention at Ilustrarte (2018).
The jury of the Liber 2026 Illustration Competition selected Cinta Arribas’ work from among the three finalist proposals in the final stage of the competition, which also included illustrators Carmen Segovia and Daniel Montero. All three creators were commissioned to develop a design proposal for the visual identity of Liber 2026 after successfully passing the initial phase of the competition, which received 236 submissions.
Now in its sixth edition, the illustration competition has been organised with the collaboration and guidance of the Federation of Professional Illustrators’ Associations (FADIP) and its member organisations from Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country, the Valencian Community and Madrid. The jury was made up of Jesús González, representing the Spanish Ministry of Culture; Marta Roig, from the Consell Català del Llibre Infantil i Juvenil (IBBYcat); Xosé Ballesteros and Mónica González, from the Liber 2026 Organising Committee; Fernando Benzo, on behalf of the Spanish Publishers Guild Federation (FGEE); and Josep Alcaraz, representing Fira de Barcelona.
About Liber
Recognised as a strategic event for the international projection of Spanish publishing, Liber will bring together this year around 250 exhibitors from more than 15 countries and over 9,000 publishing professionals. The fair focuses on business, internationalisation and knowledge exchange, with particular emphasis on rights trading, opening up new markets and analysing the major challenges facing the sector.
Liber 2026 is organised by Fira de Barcelona and promoted by the Spanish Publishers Guild Federation (FGEE). The fair is sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, ICEX Spain Export and Investment, the Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia and CEDRO, and also benefits from the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), the Associació d’Editors en Llengua Catalana and the Gremi d’Editors de Catalunya.
Barcelona, 14 April 2026
Maria Dolores Herranz / Gloria Dilluvio
Tel. +34 93 233 25 41 – 21 72
[email protected]
[email protected]