The Art of Illustration in the Heart of Brussels

As the holiday season approaches, the Brussels bookstore Quartier Libre – le lieu du livre renews once again its dialogue between literature and illustration by inviting an artist to create a bookmark and a sticker offered with every book purchased.
This year, this delicate project has been entrusted to Joanna Concejo, an internationally renowned Polish illustrator.

Joanna Concejo

Her work is distinguished by a refined graphic sensitivity and a poetic, timeless atmosphere. Through delicate images — often close to memory and dream — she explores themes of childhood, silence, and deep emotion. Her illustrations, often compared to old photographs, create worlds of rare emotional intensity.

As both author and illustrator, Joanna Concejo is best known for Monsieur Personne (2008), acclaimed for the strength and uniqueness of its visual universe. She has illustrated numerous books published in France and abroad, in collaboration with publishing houses such as L’Atelier du Poisson Soluble, Casterman, Format, or Topipittori, as well as leading writers, including Olga Tokarczuk.

In 2021, she received the Grand Prix de l’Illustration for Sénégal (text by Artur Scriabin), a work unanimously praised by critics. Her books have been translated and distributed in many countries and are regularly featured in the selections of major literary and illustration awards, including the Prix Sorcières.

A leading figure in contemporary illustration, Joanna Concejo has developed a body of work at the crossroads of literature and visual art, appealing to both children and adults and resonating with a broad international audience.

Quartier Libre – le lieu du livre

Quartier Libre is a new-generation independent Brussels bookstore, founded in 2019, that reimagines the traditional bookshop as an open, multidisciplinary space deeply rooted in the city. Conceived as a “Bookstore 4.0”, it connects the worlds of books, reading, and writing with contemporary technologies, digital tools, on-site printing, and collaborative practices.

As a social and cooperative enterprise, Quartier Libre promotes bibliodiversity, openness to the world, and the essential role of culture in contemporary society. It positions itself as a genuine ecosystem of the li(v)re — hosting meetings, creative projects, experiments, and artistic collaborations — while maintaining strong eco-responsible commitments.

Located in the heart of Brussels, Quartier Libre is both a hub for cultural exchange, a space for reflection, and a laboratory of ideas, combining the richness of the traditional book with the tools and challenges of our time.

QUARTIER LIBRE
374 Chaussée d’Alsemberg, 1180 Uccle