My name is Filippo Vanzo. I am a Stockholm-based, Italy-born-and-raised freelance illustrator and cartographer.
I create images for a wide variety of industries and purposes, such as books, covers, children´s literature, tabletop games, advertising, museums, magazines, and for private use. My fiction illustrations focus primarily on characters and storytelling, with dynamic, cinema-inspired dramatic compositions. I also love to do a lot of research for maps, historical, educational or natural history projects.
I work with many different mediums, depending on the project. I usually work with ink or pencil, and add the color and typography in post-production. I work 100% digitally if the project requires extra flexibility.
If you are interested in knowing more about my work as a cartographer, please visit my map-website at lastmapmaker.com.
I am fluent in Italian, English and Swedish.
I love nature, hiking, maps, video games, progressive and folk music, riding my bicycle, and sleeping. Were I not an illustrator, I would probably want be a wildlife photographer, or a park ranger.
Selected clients
Sveriges Radio, Nobel Prize Museum, Statens fastighetsverk, Bonnier Carlsen, Paradox Interactive, Opal, Lilla Piratförlaget, Capstone Books, Oxford University Press, Usborne Publishing
Publications
2025 – Expedition Mount Everest // by David Klint, Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789179796778]
2025 – Varelserna // by Torsten Bengtsson, Opal [ISBN 9789172266186]
2024 – Labyrinten // by Torsten Bengtsson, Opal [ISBN 9789172266162]
2024 – På jakt efter räv // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789189697287]
2023 – På jakt efter skogshare // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789189697171]
2023 – Portalen // by Torsten Bengtsson, Opal [ISBN 9789172266155]
2023 – Örnfolkets hemlighet – Den gömda dalen // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178133734]
2023 – Örnfolkets hemlighet – Fyrtornet i Alexandria // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178133727]
2022 – På jakt efter gräsand // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789189697027]
2022 – Örnfolkets hemlighet – Trollkarlens torn // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178133611]
2022 – Axels historiska mysterier – Den försvunna staven // by Jenny Edvardsson, Bokförlaget Hedvig [ISBN 9789179713652]
2022 – Alvens hjärta // by Gudrun Wessnert, Stockholmia förlag [ISBN 9789170313387]
2022 – Mysterieklubben och spökhuset // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178133352]
2022 – På jakt efter bäver // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188871800]
2021 – På jakt efter fjällripa // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188871688]
2021 – Mysterieklubben och smugglarna // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178131754]
2021 – Sveriges regenter : Från Vasa till idag // Opal [ISBN 9789172264366]
2021 – På jakt efter rådjur // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188871527]
2021 – Mysterieklubben och silverskrinet // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178131747]
2020 – Kungaliv : Sveriges regenter under 500 år // by Linda Linnskog Rudh, Opal [ISBN 9789172999671]
2020 – På jakt efter orre // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188871206]
2020 – Dimmornas träsk // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178131372]
2020 – Mysterieklubben och bankrånarna // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178130375]
2020 – På jakt efter vildsvin // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188871091]
2020 – De dödas resa // by Lena Arro, Opal [ISBN 9789172262065]
2019 – Nu är det Julia // by Johanna Wilson, B Wahlströms [ISBN 9789132210617]
2019 – Mysterieklubben och ubåten // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178130368]
2019 – På jakt efter björn // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188009821]
2019 – Mysterieklubben och det hemliga rummet // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789178130351]
2019 – Jakten på hwitrerna // by Johan Theorin, Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789163899423]
2019 – The Bug Girl: Maria Merian’s Scientific Vision // by Sarah Glenn Marsh, Albert Whitman & Company [ISBN 9780807592571]
2019 – På jakt efter älg // by Anna Hansson, Jennie Elverstig, Beta Pedagog [ISBN 9789188009814]
2018 – Linje 15 till Rannebergen // by Lena Arro, Opal [ISBN 9789172999596]
2018 – Slaget om Salajak // by Johan Theorin, Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789163899164]
2017 – Från Döda fallet till Ales stenar – Platser med (spök)historia // by Lena Arro, Opal [ISBN 9789172998766]
2017 – Draconia // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789188279651]
2017 – Sailing with Leif Eriksson // by Nancy Harris, Capstone [ISBN 9781474746564]
2017 – My Famous Brother, Galileo // by Phillip W. Simpson, Capstone [ISBN 9781474746311]
2017 – Vita tigern // by Christin Ljungqvist, Gilla Böcker [ISBN 9789188279309]
2017 – Legenden om Örnfolket – Den siste draken // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789187707322]
2016 – William Shakespeare // by Sean McCollum, Learning A-Z
2016 – Pepper’s Travels with Marco Polo // by Nancy Harris, Capstone [ISBN 9781474717892]
2016 – Can You Survive a Supervolcano Eruption? // by Blake Hoena, Capstone [ISBN 9781491481080]
2016 – Det magiska hjärtat // by Kristina Ohlsson, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789188279118]
2016 – Legenden om Örnfolket – Vulkanen vaknar // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789187707315]
2015 – Mysteriet på Hester Hill // by Kristina Ohlsson, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789187707346]
2015 – Legenden om Örnfolket – Maximus ring // by Patrik Bergström, Lilla Piratförlaget [ISBN 9789187707230]
Contributions
2026 – GRUS. Fåglar i Västergötland // 2026-3, Västergötlands Ornitologiska Förening
2026 – RoadRUNNER // April, June, August, October 2026 issues
2025 – Tidsmaskinen // by Jens Ahlbom, Jonna Björnstjerna, Clara Dackenberg, Ishtar Bäcklund Dakhil, Elin Hägg, Alexander Jansson, Amanda Jonsson, Sven Nordqvist, Marcus Gunnar Pettersson, Tuvalisa Rangström, Anna Sandler, Erik Svetoft, Filippo Vanzo, Opal [ISBN 9789172268630]
2024 – Upplevelser i Sveriges natur // by Erik Hansson, Bokförlaget Polaris [ISBN 9789180661508]
2023 – Vikgubbar : 55 karaktärer av 219 tecknare // by Marcus-Gunnar Pettersson, Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789179795238]
2023 – Lönnmördaren på Norrlandsbanan // by M G Leonard, Sam Sedgman (ill. by Elisa Paganelli, cover by me), Opal [ISBN 9789172265714]
2023 – Alba och asablotet // by Mårten Gisby, Henrik Johansson (cover by Johan Egerkrans, map by me), Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789179758912]
2023 – Sabotaget på Solar Express // by M G Leonard, Sam Sedgman (ill. by Elisa Paganelli, cover by me), Opal [ISBN 9789172265707]
2022 – Alba och Nattramnens grav // by Mårten Gisby, Henrik Johansson (cover by Johan Egerkrans, map by me), Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789179758882]
2022 – Hotet vid Dödmanspasset // by M G Leonard, Sam Sedgman (ill. by Elisa Paganelli, cover by me), Opal [ISBN 9789172262829]
2022 – A Road Running Southward: Following John Muir’s Journey through an Endangered Land // by Dan Chapman, Island Press [ISBN 9781642831948]
2022 – Fiskevårdsmanualen : en guide till en mångfald av fiskevårdsmöjligheter för att främja våra rovfiskebestånd i skärgården // by Oliver Karlöf, Stockhokms stad
2022 – Military Miniatures 201 // Jan-Mar 2022, SJR Research
2021 – Military Miniatures 101 // Oct-Dec 2021, SJR Research
2021 – The Atlas of a Changing Climate: Our Evolving Planet Visualized with More Than 100 Maps, Charts, and Infographics // by Brian Buma, Timber Press [ISBN: 9781604699944]
2021 – Alba och landet bortom // by Mårten Gisby, Henrik Johansson (cover by Johan Egerkrans, map by me), Bonnier Carlsen [ISBN 9789179756949]
2021 – Mordet på Safari Star // by M G Leonard, Sam Sedgman (ill. by Elisa Paganelli, cover by me), Opal [ISBN 9789172262492]
2021 – Kidnappningen på California Comet // by M G Leonard, Sam Sedgman (ill. by Elisa Paganelli, cover by me), Opal [ISBN 9789172262287]
2021 – Tjuven på Highland Falcon // by M G Leonard, Sam Sedgman (ill. by Elisa Paganelli, cover by me), Opal [ISBN 9789172262010]
2020 – The Last Helicopter: Two Lives in Indochina // by Jim Laurie [ISBN 9781735120300]
2019 – Det mörka Östergötland : När sägnerna möter källorna // Östergötlands länsmuseum [ISBN 9789188217066]
2018 – Den glömda konsten : folkkonst i Östergötland // Östergötlands länsmuseum [ISBN 9789188217059]
2018 – Upplevelser i Stockholms natur : platser, kartor, guider // by Erik Hansson, Oliver Karlöf, Vide Ohlin, Bokförlaget Polaris [ISBN 9789188647665]
2017 – Ancient History Magazine 9 // Apr-May 2017, Karwansaray Publishers
2017 – Big Questions 6 Class Book // by Katherine Bilsbrough and Steve Bilsborough, Oxford University Press [ISBN: 9780194107891]
Awards and Features
2026 – Carl von Linné-plaketten
2018 – The Atlas Awards: awarded (tie) Best Overall Map
2017 – The Atlas Awards: awarded Most Creative Map and Best Media-Ready Map
2016 – The Journal art book (curated by Jon Schindehette, ArtOrder)
2015 – The Book Illustration Competition 2015 – longlisted
2014 – Spectrum 21
2014 – ImagineFX #106