Marilena Perilli is an illustrator whose vibrant, textured artwork draws inspiration from the bold process printing of the 1960s and 1970s and the colorful energy of her New York City childhood. Working digitally with a gouache-inspired approach and carefully crafted limited palettes, she creates imagery that feels both nostalgic and contemporary. Marilena has illustrated for a wide range of clients including Candlewick Press, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Penguin Books, American Girl, Random House, Highlights, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Nickelodeon, and is currently developing a forthcoming project with Candlewick Press.
Marilena is proudly represented by Ethan & Heather Long (ethan@tugeau2.com, heather@tugeau2.com).
Marilena is available to illustrate manuscripts written by other authors, develops original author-illustrator projects for submission, and is interested in partnering with writers to develop book concepts and stories from the ground up, contributing the visual direction and illustrations for those projects.
