Casale Comics off- Exhibition "Federica di Meo : viaggio nel sogno"

FEDERICA DI MEO: JOURNEY INTO A DREAM Nuns' Choir of the Church of Santa Caterina, Casale Monferrato – Via Trevigi 16 From May 21 to June 2, 2026 Opening Thursday, May 21, at 6:00 PM In collaboration with the Fabbrica di Santa Caterina Onlus Hours: Saturday, May 23, 30, and Sunday, May 24 and May 31, June 2, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; 2:30 PM – 6:30 PM; The Nuns' Choir of the Church of Santa Caterina is the space that CasaleComics & Games traditionally chooses to dedicate to particularly representative female authors. Female comic book artists capable of telling stories and themes connected to a female vision of comics. This was the case in 2024 with the "Le Moleste" collective and their campaigns for gender equality and against violence, and in 2025 with the portraits of a young generation of women represented by Alice Berti's pop icons. It's a connection that draws directly from the history of this space, built in the mid-16th century by order of Marchioness Anna d'Alençon, regent of Monferrato, and buried in this very choir. In 2026, the choice fell on a renowned author in the international manga world, whose heroines emerged from her lines, with whom she has captured the attention and hearts of thousands of readers: Federica di Meo. A choice that also has the advantage of being on home soil: Di Meo, born in Chieti, Japan, and a regular at comics throughout Europe, continues to RESIDE in Casale together with Gabriele and her inseparable dog, Macchia. As always, the exhibition takes advantage of the extraordinary staging of this baroque space, with 80 linear stalls arranged in a semi-elliptical space. These seats, once occupied by monastic austerity, will host portraits of characters from the Somnia and Oneira series. Somnia was the first series, in the European manga style, that made Di Meo famous. Written by Liza E. Anzen, it was also the first Italian manga produced by hand in black and white. The first series, consisting of four volumes, was published by Panini Comics between 2013 and 2014 and revolves around the protagonist Myra Rever from the moment she enters the Guild of Creators, where special objects called Somnia are constructed. Oneira, created with Cab for Kana and published in Italy by Star Comics, is a fantasy manga released in 2023 and has already become a cult classic. The main character is Arane Heos, who travels with her faithful squire Bastione to a world where nightmares have come to life, posing a threat only the Epeire Caste can combat. A dreamlike, slightly dark universe that perfectly complements the atmosphere of this evocative place. Federica Di Meo Sharp pencils and an international outlook: Federica (born in 1983 in Chieti, but adopted by Casale) has been studying manga for over 20 years, spanning Italy, France, and Japan. Initially self-taught, she then took a course taught by Maria Vannucchi, which took her to Tokyo at the Yoani Animation Gakuin in 2009. She then continued her training in Italy with the lessons of masters Matsuda and Fujita of the Yokohama Comic School, in collaboration with the Lucca Manga Academy. As an illustrator and comic book artist, she has published for several Italian publishing houses, including DeAgostini (creating several issues of the Disegna Manga e Anime series). From 2013 to 2018, she worked on Somnia, the first all-Italian hand-drawn black-and-white manga, using Japanese graphic and narrative techniques. The work was published by Panini Comics as co-author with Liza E. Anzen. Since 2019, she has been working for the Franco-Belgian manga market on two new manga series: "Oneira," a dark fantasy manga with Editions Kana, written by Cab and now in its second series with 7 volumes (ongoing), and "The Lapins Cretins: Luminys Quest," a fantasy comedy with Glenat in 3 volumes. Federica is the art director of the manga section at Arancia studio, overseeing manga projects for the international market in collaboration with Disney (Twisted Tales, Mandalorian, etc.), Ubisoft, Viz, and national and international publishers.