Roger Olmos

Roger Olmos Pastor is a Spanish illustrator.

Education and career
Born in Barcelona on December 23, 1975, Roger Olmos became interested in the world of illustration from a very young age, when he started spending time in his father's studio at home where he watched him drawing and painting. There he got fascinated by authors such as Brad Holland, Caza and Brian Froud.

After attending the Llotja Avinyò School of Arts and Crafts in Barcelona from 1995 to 2000, he started a six-year apprenticeship as a scientific illustrator at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona, during which he learned a lot about textures and anatomy.

With time, however, he decided to turn to children's books. In 1999 he met his first publisher, Kalandraka, at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, with which he would publish his first book (Tío Lobo) the following year.

Since then he has illustrated more than eighty books for many Spanish and international publishers such as: Edelvives, Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Kalandraka, Oqo Editora, Ediciones B, La Galera, Teide, Anaya, Edebé, Planeta, Baula, #logosedizioni, Melhoramentos, Bromera, Editions 62, Pirouette etc.

He is a vegan and an animal-rights activist, and he actively collaborates with FAADA (Foundation for the Counselling and Action in Defense of Animals, based in Barcelona). This collaboration led to the publication of two books, both published by #logosedizioni (Italy): Sinpalabras / Senzaparole (Wordless) in 2014, praised by the like of Jane Goodall and J.M. Coetzee, and which Roger has described as “one of the most important and personal books of my career”, and Amigos in 2017.

He also collaborates with various advertising agencies, illustration schools and TV channels.

Prizes and awards

 * 1999, 2002 and 2005: selected for the Illustrator's Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair
 * 2002: White Ravens Selection by the International Youth Library (Tío Lobo, kalandraka)
 * 2004: White Ravens Selection by the International Youth Library (El Libro de las Fábulas, Ediciones B)
 * 2006: White Ravens Special Mention (La cosa que más duele del mundo / The Thing That Hurts Most in the World, OQO)
 * 2006: Premio Llibreter de Álbum Ilustrado (La cosa que más duele del mundo / The Thing That Hurts Most in the World, OQO)
 * 2008: Premio Lazarillo de Álbum Ilustrado (El príncipe de los enredos, Edelvives)
 * 2013: Premio Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (La màquina de pessigoles, la Galera)
 * 2014: Best illustrated book for children, by the Spanish Ministry of Culture (Régalame un beso, Penguin Random House Mondadori)
 * 2015: Best illustrated book for children, by the Spanish Ministry of Culture (La leyenda de Zum, Nubeocho ediciones)
 * 2015: Premio 400Colpi, Torredilibri (Senzaparole, #logosedizioni)
 * 2017: Selected as one of the most representative illustrators in Catalonia, Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2017 together with the Balearic Islands

Solo exhibitions (selection)

 * 2014 Pequeños catálogo de instantes de felicidad – Barberà del Vallès
 * 2014 Senzaparole – Biblioteca Delfini, Modena
 * 2014 Sinpalabras – Panta Rhei, Madrid
 * 2015 Sinpalabras – AnimaNaturalis, Barcelona
 * 2015, Roger Olmos. Illustrator – Kinderboekenmarkt, Den Haag
 * 2016 Cosimo. Open air exhibition – via dell’Indipendenza and via San Giuseppe, Bologna (CHEAP – urban art festival, in collaboration with #logosedizioni)
 * 2016 Cosimo. Original artworks exhibition – Family Palace, Lucca Comics & Games, Lucca, Italy
 * 2017 Amigos. Open air exhibition – via dell’Abbadia, Bologna (CHEAP – urban art festival, in collaboration with #logosedizioni)
 * 2017 Cosimo – Mirabilia Art Gallery, Bologna, Italy
 * 2018 Lucia. Open air exhibition – via dell’Indipendenza, Bologna (CHEAP – urban art festival, in collaboration with #logosedizioni and CBM Italia Onlus)
 * 2018 Lucia – Mirabilia Art Gallery, Bologna
 * 2018 Lucia – Premio letterario Giuseppe Dessì, Ex Mulino Cadoni, Villacidro
 * 2019 Un poquito de media vida – LAVA, Valladolid
 * 2019 Ilustrando la mala suerte – Fundación BilbaoArte, Bilbao
 * 2021 Roger Olmos: Amici per la pelle. Open air exhibition – via dell’Indipendenza, Bologna (CHEAP – urban art festival)
 * 2023 Cosimo. Original artworks exhibition – Biblioteca Paolo Borsellino, Como
 * 2023 Roger Olmos: La forza dei forti – Modo Infoshop, Bologna

Group exhibitions (selection)

 * 2000 Bären – Internationale Jugendbibliothek, Munich
 * 2014 Latin Beat Film Festival – T-Site Daikanyama, Tokyo, with Ana Juan and Alejandro Magallanes
 * 2015 Imaginarius – Las Naves, Valencia, with Elena Odriozola and Julio Antonio Blasco
 * 2017 Vidas ilustradas – València Capital Animal, Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània, Valencia
 * 2018 Los ilustrados de Ornamante – Ornamante Lab-Shop, Barcelona
 * 2019 Milagros. Instituto Cervantes – Rome, with Ana Juan
 * 2019 Milagros. Instituto Cervantes – Naples, with Ana Juan
 * 2019 Almost Tales – Afnakafna palestra d’arte, Roma
 * 2020 Tres tristes tigres – Galería Espacio 0, Huelva
 * 2021 Roger Olmos: Amici per la pelle. Open air exhibition – via dell’Indipendenza, Bologna (CHEAP – urba art festival)
 * 2023 Roger Olmos: La forza dei forti – Modo Infoshop, Bologna

Book covers

 * 2007, Cuentos clásicos I, VV. AA., Pirueta, Spain
 * 2007, Cuentos clásicos II, VV.AA., Pirueta, Spain
 * 2008, Cuentos clásicos III, VV. AA., Pirueta, Spain
 * 2008, Cuentos clásicos IV, VV. AA., Pirueta, Spain
 * 2008, Minotauro. La batalla del laberinto, by Gabriel García de Oro, Ediciones B, Spain
 * 2009, Cuentos clásicos V, VV. AA., Pirueta, Spain
 * 2009, Minotauro. La torre del tiempo, by Gabriel García de Oro, Ediciones B, Spain
 * 2009, La última bruja de Trasmoz, by Cesar Fernandez García, la Galera, Spain
 * 2010, Haroun i el mar de les histories, by Salman Rushdie, Edicions Bromera, Spain
 * 2010, Luka i el foc de la vida, by Salman Rushdie, Edicions Bromera, Spain
 * 2010, Luzazul, by Carmen Fernández Villalba, la Galera, Spain
 * 2010, Cuentos clásicos VI, VV. AA., Pirueta, Spain
 * 2012, Parque muerte, by Fernando Lalana, Edebé, Spain
 * 2014, Cuentos clásicos de la literatura española, AA. VV., Edelvives, Spain
 * 2015, El universo para Ulises, by Juan Carlos Ortega, Planeta, Spain

CD covers

 * 2006, Facto Delafé y las Flores Azules versus el monstruo de las Ramblas, by Facto Delafé y las Flores Azules,
 * 2007, En la luz de la mañana, by Facto Delafé y las Flores Azules
 * 2008, True Love, Là Par Force
 * 2011, Love Battle, CatPeople