Originally from Italy, Ilaria Cortesi is a self-taught illustrator and collagist currently based in Shanghai, China. She started making art at a young age and rediscovered it recently while juggling a full-time office job and single parenthood, seeking a creative outlet. Each piece begins with a word or thought that evokes an image; she then slices and arranges pictures until a new visual narrative emerges, characterized by vibrant color and paper-like textures. The results are punchy images inspired by the punk aesthetic of DIY, sci-fi, fantasy and Japanese ukiyo-e that are sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes playful.