Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK), the country’s first and only organization of illustrators for children, launches a fresh collection of art pieces telling personal stories from each member’s past.

“INKwento: Stories from Childhood” is Ang INK’s 28th annual exhibition, which opened at the new Arts and Design Hall of the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, on 9 November.

Game Over, a story about huge plants with trunks full of eyes and snake-like roots, and My Lola’s Kitchen, which tells of a treasure-filled grandmother’s kitchen, are just two of the illustrated stories in this year’s collection. There’s also Newborn, about a baby bird hatching on a grade school playground and Luto-lutuan, about May and Gigi playing with clay pottery with their mom.

Ang INK members or Inkies used a wide range of media for their works on display including paper, pen and ink, watercolors, acrylic, colored pencils, markers and digital.

Opening in conjunction with the exhibit is a two-day series of activities including an art sale and artist’s talks given by Inkies.

Day One (9 November) featured the Inkie Pop-Up Sale, and “The Business of Illustration: Pricing, Contracts and Copyright,” a talk given by veteran Inkies Bru Sim-Nada, May Tobias Papa and Aneka Rodriguez. “Illustrators on Illustrators,” featuring six Inkies discussing their individual styles and experiences, took place on the same day.

The second day of the event (16 November) will feature a talk, “Empowering Young People Through Illustration,” given by five Inkies led by Abi Goy, and another by the creators of the storybook, Si Kian.

Ang INK has more than 70 members who are illustrators, graphic designers, painters, writers, teachers working in educational institutions, publishing companies, and design and advertising agencies.

Founded in 1991, Ang INK was the offshoot of a Children’s Book Illustration workshop sponsored by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People and the Goethe-Institute Manila conducted by German illustrator, Reinhard Michl.

Ang INK has more than 70 members who are illustrators, graphic designers, painters, writers, teachers working in educational institutions, publishing companies and design and advertising agencies.

For more information about Ang INK and INKwento: Stories from Childhood, visit www.facebook.com/AngINK.org/ or email hello@ang-ink.org.