Ana Penyas

NATIONAL AWARD AND GRAPHIC VOICE OF A SILENCED GENERATION

CHÁCHARA, in collaboration with Graficatessen and LAB Sevilla.

Ana Penyas (Valencia, 1987) is an illustrator and graphic novel author. In 2018, she became the first woman to win Spain’s National Comic Award for her book “We’re All Just Fine,” which tells the story of her grandmothers, Maruja and Herminia, and gives voice to a silenced generation.

Penyas studied Industrial Design and Fine Arts at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, where she discovered her passion for illustration. Her main influences include Brecht Evens, Laura Carlin, Gipi, and Jorge González. Her work focuses on social issues, driven by a strong sense of commitment, represented with a documentary-style sensitivity. Photography and documentary films have played an essential role in shaping her storytelling approach.

She has participated in artist residencies in Porto, showcased her work at the Ilustrísima fair in Madrid, and featured at the Tenderete festival in Valencia. Additionally, she has held solo exhibitions in Lisbon and Valencia. Her work has been published by Mil razones and Libros del K.O., and has been highlighted on platforms such as MipetitMadrid, elHype, and Bostezo.

Penyas is also a regular illustrator for Pikara Magazine. In 2021, she published “Todo bajo el sol,” a graphic novel about urban speculation and mass tourism on the Eastern Spanish coast. The book received the ACDCómic Award for Best National Work in 2022. Penyas now lives in Seville, where she continues her artistic and graphic work.