bread tales exibition

AnthropoiXXI asked me an illustration for their exhibition, Racconti di Pane – dal chicco al fuoco (Bread Tales – From the grain to the fire). Set in an ancient mill, the exhibition tells the story of bread-making, from the cultivation of cereals to the baking of the final loaf. It is a fascinating journey to rediscover the ancient agricultural traditions of our territory, Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

My biggest challenge was to capture the entire process in a single illustration, weaving together the many elements of country life and work. I chose a warm color palette inspired by the heat of the oven and the golden hues of fields ready for harvest. I played with different perspective levels, creating a visual journey throught the fields to the mill and finally to the table.

sack of flour and bread in front of an hot oven
illustration of bread-making process from grain to oven, warm colors, layered perspectives, country life narrative.
work in progress of a poster illustration on country work
printed poster of bread-making process from grain to oven, warm colors, layered perspectives, country life narrative.
draft illustration of bread-making process from grain to oven, warm colors, layered perspectives, country life narrative.

Graphic designer Anna Antonutti used it across various promotional materials, becoming a key part of the exhibition’s didactic route, where individual details accompany wall panels and captions.

farming life illustration, with corn field, mills and crows
farming life illustration, with corn field, mills and bread shape hills

To complete the project I created some short animations to help communicate the event on social media.