Nicoletta Ceccoli was born and raised in San Marino, Italy, where she resides today. This quiet town’s breathtaking view, of three medieval towers on top of the Titano Mountain, inspires her to create the exaggerated perspectives from high places that she often likes to portray in her paintings.
When she was little, her mother—a primary school teacher—surrounded her with beautiful children’s books. From her

carpenter father, Nicoletta inherited her  creative spirit and the passion for creating things with her own hands. “I grew up spending a lot of time with my father in his workshop. He worked with wood, making beautiful furniture. He used to give me colored wood pieces and glue, and I loved creating objects from them. I made dolls and funny little animals, and houses for them to play in. I drew endless worlds of my own, where I could imagine living

another life. These places were always more magical to me than the real world.”

When she was 14, she went to Bologna to see one of the most recognized children’s book fairs, and discovered the wonderful world of book artwork. Right then, she knew what her career will be.
MK: Some people consider your paintings melancholic and bizarre. Are they right? Nicoletta: I prefer everyone who looks at