Iwona Chmielewska (born 1960) is a Polish illustrator and author.
Iwona Chmielewska studied graphic design at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, where she now lives, works, and teaches courses related to the author’s book and creative writing. She has become especially sought-after in Asia, particularly in South Korea, where she has published more than eighteen books and where she has a dedicated readership.
It can often be difficult to distinguish which of her books are for adults and which are for children. Using drawings, collages, fragments of old fabrics, and photographs, Iwona creates delicate, ethereal worlds that feel more like dreams — sometimes troubling and haunting, sometimes luminous like childhood memories. Her work embraces ambiguity and invites exploration on both visual and emotional levels.
Iwona works extensively with the very form of the book itself — with pages, bindings, and spreads — using the book as a standalone artistic object rather than merely a carrier of content. She describes most of her works as image books or books for life that invite readers to reflect on varied themes, often quite profound or difficult. According to her, these books function as “visual poetry and iconolinguistic communication.”
Instagram | instagram.com/iwonachmielewskaofficial
Amazon | Iwona Chmielewska
