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Sonja Christoph | Artist & Illustrator

@sonjaillustrates

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Artist & Illustrator | Lake Como, Italy
Stories, folklore & a little bit of magic
La Biennale 2024
Painting • Illustration • Commissions ↓

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

“In a dream
I asked him
what I can do
if I can’t change it,
he pointed to the graves
and whispered
witness it.”
— Rumi by @sonjaillustrates

32

6

8 months ago

What if you opened an ordinary door and found another world waiting on the other side?

As a child, books weren’t simply things I read. They were places I disappeared into.

Perhaps that’s why, all these years later, I still find myself painting doorways into other worlds.

This one began with a wardrobe.

Beyond it: snow, a glowing lamppost, a little ballerina about to step through… and a whole story waiting on the other side.

Stepping Through the Wardrobe is my fourth artwork for Siegeris School of Dance, created for their 2027 London production inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I studied literature long before I thought of myself as an illustrator, and fairy tales, folklore and children’s stories have followed me into my artwork ever since.

Maybe that’s what I love most about illustration:

making imaginary worlds visible.

If you could open a door into any storybook world, where would it take you? ❄️🦁 by @sonjaillustrates

21

7

19 days ago

Every secret I discovered at Balbianello found its way into this painting.

I’m going to admit something. 🫣

I thought I knew Villa del Balbianello. I had seen countless photographs. I had researched it. I had read about her history.

But I had never actually been there.

I painted her purple.

And then I was invited to a concert at Balbianello.

I approached her shores in a little ferry boat bouncing across the emerald-green water. I stepped onto the grounds and suddenly began to experience the place rather than simply look at it.

I felt tiny beneath towering trees. I stood spellbound in the loggia, watching vines twist almost serpent-like around its columns. I passed statues frozen against the intense green of the gardens and strange symbols carved into the stone balustrades.

What did they mean?

And then there was the music.

Sitting in an ivy-covered garden house, listening to music played on a 200-year-old piano, I watched grey raindrops hitting the lake beyond the lemon trees.

It felt like a fairy tale.

I began to see Balbianello differently. Not simply as another beautiful Lake Como villa, but as a place layered with stories.

So I started looking more closely.

I discovered the Biscione, the Visconti serpent with a child in its jaws and centuries of legend behind it.

I discovered Guido Monzino and Everest, and an explorer who filled this ancient house with treasures and memories from the furthest corners of the world.

I found Fay ce que voudras, five mysterious words meaning “Do what you will,” whose story reaches back almost 500 years.

I found gardens, statues, symbols, history and legends.

And slowly, they all found their way into my frame.

So I went home and painted her again.

My Villa del Balbianello. A visual fairy tale.

I didn’t want to paint only what Balbianello looks like.

I wanted to paint what she remembers.

Her secrets. Her stories. The feeling of being there, not as an owner, but as a guest passing through hundreds of years of history for one tiny sliver of time.

This is my Villa del Balbianello.

And perhaps, for a moment, it can be yours too. 🌿🐍 by @sonjaillustrates

20

7

21 days ago

Why is there a giant serpent eating a baby in my painting of Villa del Balbianello? 🐍

Meet the Biscione.

This rather alarming creature is the ancient emblem of the Visconti family, former owners of Villa del Balbianello, and its origins are wrapped in history, heraldry and legend.

According to one old tale, a monstrous serpent or dragon terrorised the region, devouring children, until Uberto Visconti confronted and killed it. Other legends tell very different stories about how the Visconti came to adopt the strange creature as their emblem, and its true origins remain uncertain.

But the image endured: a great serpent with a child in its jaws.

And you can still find the Biscione at Balbianello today.

So, of course, I had to hide him in my frame.

In fact, nothing in this frame was chosen by accident.

Look closely and you’ll find Mount Everest, painted for Guido Monzino, the explorer and mountaineer who led the first Italian expedition to reach the summit in 1973 and later made Balbianello his home.

You’ll find the villa’s beautiful loggia, opening onto Lake Como, the statues watching over its terraces, and pieces of its extraordinary gardens woven through the border: wisteria, hydrangeas, cypress and those wonderful sculptural umbrella-shaped trees.

And hidden amongst it all are the mysterious words:

Fay ce que voudras.

Their story begins with François Rabelais nearly 500 years ago, and I told that particular tale in my last post.

The more I researched Balbianello, the more I realised that I didn’t want to paint only what the villa looks like.

I wanted to paint something of what it remembers.

Its owners. Its explorers. Its gardens. Its architecture. Its words.

And its legends.

So the story couldn’t stay inside the painting.

I let it spill into the frame.

And I still haven’t shown you the whole thing… by @sonjaillustrates

14

6

24 days ago

Five words are hidden at Villa del Balbianello…

Fay ce que voudras.

Do what you will.

I noticed these words while researching Villa del Balbianello, and once I discovered the story behind them, I knew they had to become part of my painting.

Their story begins almost 500 years ago with the French Renaissance writer François Rabelais.

In Gargantua, Rabelais imagined the Abbey of Thélème, a rather unconventional abbey whose inhabitants lived by one rule:

Fay ce que voudras.

Rather than simply meaning “do whatever you please,” the idea was something more interesting: that educated, free people, guided by their own conscience, should not need endless rules imposed upon them.

Then, more than two centuries later, the words found their way to Lake Como.

Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini created Villa del Balbianello in the late 18th century as not only a place of beauty, but a retreat for literature, conversation and the arts. He had Fay ce que voudras inscribed there, and the phrase became associated with the literary world he created at Balbianello.

I love the thought that a few words from a 16th-century book travelled through time and somehow ended up here, overlooking Lake Como.

So when I began painting Balbianello, they found their way into my frame too.

And they aren’t the only secret hidden there.

Nothing in this frame was chosen by accident.

There are stories in the statues, the plants, the architecture, an ancient serpent… and even a mountain.

I’ll show you those next. 🌿

#VillaDelBalbianello #LakeComoArt #LakeComoArtist taken in Villa del Balbianello- Lenno, Lake Como by @sonjaillustrates

15

2

a month ago

Every painting seems to have that moment.

The sketch made sense.
The idea was exciting.
And then somewhere between the first wash of colour and the twenty-seventh tiny decision, I become fairly certain I’ve ruined the whole thing.

And then, slowly, it begins to find its way back.

I think learning not to panic in the middle might be as much a part of painting as learning how to paint.

Artists, tell me I’m not alone. Do you have an “I’ve ruined it” stage too? by @sonjaillustrates

12

3

a month ago

Perhaps I should introduce myself properly.

I’m Sonja. An artist and illustrator, living and creating on Lake Como.

I grew up in Florida, with an American mother and a Bavarian father, and somehow found my way across the Atlantic more than twenty years ago.

I studied literature in Heidelberg and Munich, eventually completing a Master’s in Comparative Literature. I was fascinated by fairy tales, folklore, mythology and the way we have always used stories to make sense of the world.

Somewhere along the way, the stories I loved studying began finding their way onto paper in a different form.

I started drawing them.

Since then I’ve lived in Germany and London, and now Italy, where I work as an artist and illustrator from my home near Lake Como.

My work has taken me in directions I never could have predicted: portraits and private commissions, theatre and ballet illustrations, work for international clients, and the extraordinary experience of exhibiting at the Biennale di Venezia.

But despite all of that, the part I love most hasn’t really changed.

An idea appears. I pick up a pencil or a paintbrush. And I get to find out where it leads.

So if you’ve just found me, hello. And if you’ve been here for years, perhaps it was finally time I introduced myself properly.

There are still so many stories I want to paint.

What would you like to see more of here: the finished pieces, the process behind them, or the stories that inspired them?

#SonjaIllustrates #Illustrator #Artist #VisualStorytelling #ContemporaryIllustration taken in Lake Como, Italy by @sonjaillustrates

21

6

a month ago

Dear Greece, I brought my notebook again. 🇬🇷

Every year, I arrive with the same little ritual:

A watercolor notebook.
A handful of paints.
And the hope of catching a few moments before they vanish.

Because travelling is full of things that happen too quickly to photograph properly.

A door knocker with too much character.
A flash of neon sun over Corfu. ☀️
Octopus drying in the Greek heat.
A corner of Crete painted in impossible red and blue.
Paros cats giving me their most unimpressed expressions. 🐈
A priest in sunglasses walking through streets bleached white by the sun.
Children watching the last light disappear into the sea.

And then Antipaxos.

That impossible blue.
That final jump.

I paint these things because I don’t quite know what else to do with all the things I feel when I’m there.

The notebook becomes a little evidence box for a summer I don’t want to forget.

Tell me: Have you ever been to Greece? what’s the one tiny, ordinary thing you remember most vividly from a trip? 👇 by @sonjaillustrates

15

1

2 months ago

✨ TADA! The final piece is pressed and ready to take its place in the world. ✨

Swipe through to see the journey of this poster I created for Siegeris Dance’s upcoming production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. From the first layers of paint to the final details, every stage felt like stepping deeper into Narnia.

A little secret about me…

Before I became a full-time artist and calligrapher, I studied literature in Germany and earned my Master’s degree in Comparative Literature at the University of Munich. My studies were filled with myths, fairy tales and folk stories. I was completely fascinated by Bruno Bettelheim and his writing about why fairy tales matter so deeply to us.

Stories like Narnia have always lived somewhere inside me.

One of my favourite quotes by C.S. Lewis is:

✨ “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Recently, I bought the entire Narnia collection for my son, and watching him discover this magical world for the first time has filled me with wonder. As I read with him, I find myself trailing behind, wishing I could be a child again and step through the wardrobe myself.

And then there’s this beautiful reminder from Lewis:

✨ “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”

The best stories grow with us. They wait patiently and reveal new truths each time we return to them.

Perhaps that’s why I loved creating this poster so much. It felt less like painting and more like opening a door.

🌲🦁❄️

Question for you:

If you could step into any fictional world for one day, which one would you choose? by @sonjaillustrates

50

6

3 months ago

🎨✨ Some work is paid in money. Some work is paid in a thank you.

As a professional artist, I rarely take on volunteer projects. Art is my livelihood, and creative work deserves to be valued. But every year, there is one project I happily make an exception for.

My son’s school play. ❤️

This year the students are performing Luca, and I was asked to create a series of large hand-painted posters and signs. This reel shows one of my favourites coming to life: my imagined poster for the legendary Portorosso Cup Vespa race.

Deep Mediterranean blues. 🍋 Lemons. 🫒 Olives. 🐙 Sea monsters. 🦐 Shrimp. 🦞 Lobsters. 🐟 Fish. 🎣 Harpoons and sea hooks. 🛵 A bright red Vespa with the Italian flag.

Every detail was inspired by the magic of the film and brought to life through my own imagination.
This is now the third year I’ve donated my time, studio space, materials, and many, many hours to help create something special for the school community:
🐍 Year 1: a giant snake 🕰️ Year 2: a life-sized cardboard grandfather clock 🎨 Year 3: five enormous hand-painted posters and signs

If these projects had been commissioned professionally, the value of the work over the years would be considerable. Yet somehow I always find myself saying yes.

Why?

Because I want my son to grow up knowing that his mum showed up.
I want him to remember that I was involved, that I helped, that I cared enough to contribute my skills to make things a little more magical for him and his friends.
I do it for the kids who beam with pride when they see something beautiful made just for their show.

I do it for the community.

And I do it for Ms. Katia, who carries the enormous task of organising and creating so much of what makes these productions possible.

Recognition is lovely. Gratitude is appreciated. But the biggest reward is seeing the excitement in the children’s eyes when the curtain goes up.

That makes every brushstroke worth it. 🇮🇹✨

🎭 Have you ever volunteered your professional skills for a cause close to your heart? I’d love to hear what project you said “yes” to. by @sonjaillustrates

15

4

4 months ago

🎭🛵 A Vespa, a paintbrush, and a very proud mama.

This bright hand-painted Vespa poster was created for my son’s school play, inspired by Disney’s Luca. As I painted, I kept thinking about the story behind it. Two boys dreaming of freedom, adventure, friendship, and a shiny Vespa to take them there.

This is now the third year I’ve volunteered my time, studio space, and art supplies to help bring the school’s productions to life.

Year 1:
🐍 Built a giant snake.

Year 2:
🕰️ Constructed a grandfather clock entirely from cardboard.

Year 3:
🎨 Hand-painting posters and signs for the whole production.

As a working artist and a busy mom, there are always a million things competing for my attention. But I want my son to grow up remembering that I showed up. That I got involved. That I was willing to give my time, creativity, and energy to help make something special for him and his friends.

And honestly… I love Luca.

A story set in Italy.
A boy searching for freedom.
Friendship.
Courage.
Learning to do hard things.
And perhaps most importantly…

“Silenzio Bruno!”

That little phrase always makes me smile because I still have to tell my own inner critic to be quiet sometimes.

This reel captures the neon colours coming to life, the brushstrokes, the energy, and a little bit of the joy I feel being part of something bigger than myself.

Now tell me…

💭 What’s something your parents did for you that you still remember years later? by @sonjaillustrates

16

7

4 months ago

Come with me on an art date in Milan 🇮🇹✨

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your creativity is simply go looking for beauty.

I spent the day at the Macchiaioli exhibition at Palazzo Reale and it felt like stepping into another world. Ornate halls. Quiet brushstrokes. Soft light. The Duomo towering outside like a marble dream.

The Macchiaioli were an Italian artistic movement from Florence in the mid-1800s who challenged traditional painting. Their name comes from the word “macchia,” meaning patch or spot.

Instead of polished realism, they focused on light, atmosphere, emotion, and everyday life through loose brushwork and bold contrasts.

Basically… rule breakers with paintbrushes 🤍

A few beautiful things about them: • They painted real life instead of idealised perfection • They worked outdoors to capture changing light • They helped pave the way for modern art as we know it today

And honestly, as artists, I believe we NEED this.

We need days where we step away from creating and simply observe. To refill the well. To romanticise inspiration a little.
For me, these little art dates are such an important part of my creative practice 🤍

Inspiration rarely arrives when we force it. Sometimes it appears quietly in museum halls, old architecture, colours, textures, or a painting detail that stays with you forever.

These little art adventures always remind me why I create in the first place 🌿
#artdateinmilan by @sonjaillustrates

18

9

5 months ago