Cecilia Varela was born in Buenos Aires in 1973. She studied Fine Arts at Prilidiano Pueyrredrón National School for Fine Arts.
During some years, she exhibited her work and took part in several showrooms and art galleries in the city of Buenos Aires. She was awarded with a grant from the National School of Fine Arts to study etching techniques at Alfredo de Vicenzo study, and with a grant from Borges Cultural Center to attend a year of training with the artist Ana Eckel.
From 1999 to 20011 she was studying comic techniques with Juan Bobillo and Marcelo Sosa and she designed decorative objects for the art gallery, apart from creating stained glass windows for children.
She lived in Mexico City for 8 years and she finished her training in that city working with some renowned illustrators and specialists.
In 2007 she was awarded with the first prize of the Concaculta catalogue of illustrators in Mexico City.
Her work has been published by several publishing houses in Mexico and Spain and she is currently taking part in two exhibitions: "Le immagini della Fantasia" and "Il Colori del Sacro", both of them in Italy.
I give you a story to be carried with you, folded inside your pocket or between the pages of a book.
There is no better gift than a story, there is no better gift than a book, and there is no better gift than this book
Jorge Gonzalvo give us this story and Cecilia Varela draws pictures for this beautiful gift.
“This short story, that is not really a story, tells us about a very special present, a little book like the one we are reading that goes with us everywhere w ego. This is a book that contains a lot of gifts and special details. With it, you will enjoy all those little things that are so important. Open it, read it… you will be surely willing to share it with many people… What kind of presents do you like to give? What kind of presents do you like to receive? (S.O.L. Orientation to readers service).
Recommended in the TV program “Silencio, se lee”, conducted by Charo Vergaz (Rayela Bookshop, Valladolid).
Selected by Villar Arellano (Civican, Caja Navarra libraries) as one of the most appreciated books in 2009. “A little delight for sensitive readers: beautiful pictures that are described with selected and rhythmic words, with suggestive pictures in bland colours, peculiar perspectives, surreal motifs… a small book for children and adults, that gathers lots of reasons for giving a story”.
“Opening its pages is far beyond coming into a tale, a story with a beginning and an end. It is actually a letter that tells us about friendship, longing, ,wishes, mutual understanding, dreams, and, above all, affection. This is a book for be given without the need of more words or dedications… because each of its pages comes from the deepest place” (Soñando cuentos blog).
“Usually, when Sadness decides to leave the town, she does without any luggage or magazines to entertain herself on the way”. In this second joint-project, Jorge Gonzalvo and Cecilia Varela tell with simplicity and tenderness the farewell to Sadness when it decides to go away.
“It has a smoothing effect on rush and sorrow. It is pure beauty. It is a great gift if you have someone close to you who has not realized yet that sadness is such a traveler” (Fernando Rivarés).
Selected by Caja Navarra to contribute to “Tiempo de lecturas Civican” guide to readers.
“A short and delicious ageless tale made with simple and evocative words and gentle, open, full of a symbolic load pictures. It has a smoothing effect on convalescing spirits.” (Tiempo delecturas Civican).
“…. a beautiful story that give us that shine of light we all need to say goodbye to Sadness and enjoy the bright moments of life. It is beautifully illustrated by Cecilia Varela, who achieves capturing the essence of the text with some strokes of the brush and she creates pictures that make us fly high” (Charo Vergaz, in Silencio se lee).