Arantza SESTAYO, Spain ✿

Arantza Sestayo is a Spanish painter and illustrator, she was born in 1964 in San Sebastián, Spain. Her trajectory goes through realistic type illustration (Heavy Metal, Rebel Ink or SQP, USA) to children's (Psago Prinsessan Sweden) or comic strips (Rooie Oortjes Belgium).

In Spain, she has published Besos Malditos with Norma Editorial and participated in Midnight (Dibbuks), Duende (City Hall of Castellón) or Vampires and Queens of Spanish Illustration (Norma Cómics).

His work has been present at Expocomic (Madrid), Ficomic (Barcelona), Cavacon (Italy), San Sebastián Horror Film Festival, Illuxcon (Reading) or New York Comic Con, and in publications such as Spectrum, Art Renewal Center or Infected By Art.

Some of her work has been on the cover of Penguin Random House, and she has been featured in HarperCollins Publisher's "Game of Thrones 20th anniversary" special edition.

Some of her work has been on the cover of Penguin Random House, and she has been featured in HarperCollins Publisher's "Game of Thrones 20th anniversary" special edition. Four of her illustrations have been published in George R. R. Martin's 20th anniversary edition of Game of Thrones.

Her work is influenced by Pre-Raphaelite painting and Art Nouveau, and she currently focuses her interest on realistic fantasy illustration inspired by classic children's stories.

Recent accolades:
3rd prize in Imaginative Realism for Ophelia at the 14th International ARC Salon (2019-2020)
1st prize in Imaginative Realism for Seven Hearts at 15th International ARC Salon (2020-2021)
"Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc" Award for Alice's Woods (2020-2021)
"Fashion Week San Diego" Award for Seven Hearts (2020-2021)