During the talk, we will learn about the work of VARYA YAKOVLEVA and ROCÍO ÁLVAREZ in the residencies, as well as their careers. The event will focus on their work in animation, featuring a selection of some of their most iconic short films.
It will take place on 13 May at Art House Zinema at 6.30 pm.
The Irudika 2026 Residencies are coming to the Bilbaoarte Fundazioa Foundation. Following the residencies at the Maison des Auteurs (Angoulême) and the Casa del Autor in Zapopan (Mexico), this is the final phase to be carried out in the capital of Biscay, during which the works that will form the final exhibition at the Casa del Cordón (Fundación Vital Fundazioa) in Vitoria-Gasteiz will be produced.
The Residency Programme is supported by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and Fundación Vital Fundazioa, in collaboration with Fundación BilbaoArte Fundazioa (Basque Country), La Maison des Auteurs at the Cité Internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l’Image in Angoulême, France, and La Casa del Autor in Zapopan (Mexico), as well as Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, the Provincial Council of Álava, the Spanish Ministry of Culture and the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza).
Irudika is the International Professional Illustration Conference organised by Euskal Irudigileak, the Professional Association of Illustrators of the Basque Country, which in 2026 celebrates 10 years of research, training, development and reflection on illustration, books and related sectors.
Rocío Álvarez
Animation film director, illustrator and painter. She is based in Brussels, Belgium.
With a degree in Fine Arts, she has created animations for theatre productions, museums, brands and television bumpers. She has also created illustrations for posters, murals and animated portraits. She has taught as a guest lecturer on the Master’s in Animation at the University of Valencia and delivered courses at the Animasivo animation festival in Mexico. Her short film “Simbiosis Carnal”, which explores the history of human sexuality from an animal, feminist and poetic perspective, has enjoyed widespread international recognition and won numerous awards.
Varya Yakovleva
A Russian illustrator, animator and visual artist. She works primarily with ink on paper, watercolour and mixed media. Exile and displacement have had a profound influence on her work: whilst her early pieces responded directly to war and the body’s reaction to violence, today she explores inner landscapes of memory, loss and resilience. Through drawing, she creates parallel worlds where real people and situations are transformed. She embraces imperfection, using vivid colours and raw textures to convey emotional depth. A recurring theme in her work is the feminine: the body as a vessel for sensory experience and a bridge between personal and collective narratives.