Interview with Adina Huțanu
Adina Huțanu was among three artists selected to participate in a month-long Multilingual Artist Residency at Otium Cultural Centre in Marsala, Sicily, from September 20 to October 21, 2024. The residency was funded by Culture Moves Europe (the Creative Europe programme of the European Union) and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.The Polyglot is pleased to present multilingual interviews and works by all three resident artists at Otium on our blog, Pensieri. To read more about Otium Cultural Centre, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
The interview was conducted with Romanian illustrator Adina Huțanu in English and features her original illustrations. Published with the author's permission. Copyright © 2024 by Adina Huțanu. No parts of this interview may be used without her consent.
Photo credit: Adina Huțanu
Adina Olivia Huțanu is a multilingual illustrator, a native Romanian speaker (born in Iași, Romania), who also works in English, Italian, and French. Passionate about eco-activism, she has been collaborating since 2019 with various non-profit organizations (Mai Bine, Cuib, Save Our Paws), creating artwork, designs, and educational materials. Since 2020, Adina has contributed to a range of cultural heritage projects as an illustrator and graphic designer, producing visuals for concerts and theater performances by Ada Milea (an independent artist, singer-songwriter, and director) that involve young actors and students. She’s also developed the visual identity for festivals and projects like Trifoi Fest, Folkever, DizArt, and worked with the Romanian Embassy in Washington DC. Currently, Adina is working on an illustrated art therapy book and sustainable projects using recycled materials and natural dyes. In 2023, she launched her own business, AOH Illustrations, and is continuing to grow her artistic presence internationally.
What is Otium?
Otium is a cultural center founded in 2013 by Barbara Lottero in Marsala, Italy, fueled by the idea that books and reading are essential to our humanity. It was created as a welcoming space for people to come together and freely explore cultural topics in an informal way.
Over the past eleven years, Otium has grown and evolved while staying true to its core mission: promoting reading as a pathway to personal and social growth. Otium manages a social grassroots and accredited library, a bookshop, and event space. In the last decade, Otium has hosted 242 events, covering everything from books, music, and theater to food and wine tastings, educational projects, and creative workshops.
Follow Otium’s journey on Instagram, Facebook, and their website.