I'm Silvia, a multidisciplinary artist working across illustration and animation, with years of experience in both personal and professional projects.
At the core of my work is creative problem-solving and a genuine desire to listen to stories and translate them into visual form. As a creative director and animation filmmaker, naturally drawn to complexity, I approach each project through sequences of images, visual journeys, and cinematic twists, keeping storytelling at the heart of every concept, even when it’s just a single hero image.
I offer visual solutions that will make your story communicative, engaging, and beautiful.
Let’s connect! I’d love to bring your ideas to life 🤍
silvia.sardellaro[at]gmail.com
Silvia Sardellaro at Park Güell | Photo © Ilaria Bozzini
My Story
I grew up in the vast, misty landscapes of the Bassa Padana in northern Italy, surrounded by cornfields, meadows, and the winding Eridane river. The quiet rhythms of the countryside, the soft summer breezes, and the stories told by the elders of my village left a lasting imprint on me, shaping the way I see the world and approach my work. These early experiences taught me to notice subtleties, embrace complexity, and find poetry in the everyday.
At eighteen, I left home to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, where I discovered experimental animation and the symbolic, dreamlike worlds of Jungian psychoanalysis. A scholarship later took me to Berlin in 2006, and over the years I have lived, studied, and worked between the UK, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Berlin, where I now reside and share life with my American husband, moving between my Italian roots and his family in St. Louis, Missouri. This multicultural journey has given me fluency in three languages, a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives, and an ability to navigate complex ideas and identities.
I often begin a project in quiet contemplation — on walks in nature, in my studio, with music, or through mind maps — gathering impressions, photographs, sketches, and thoughts that slowly flow into ideas. Being neurodiverse shapes the way I experience life and approach my work: I notice systems and patterns, and see hidden connections and possibilities where limits may otherwise be perceived.
My practice translates these insights into images, motion, and narrative. Having faced and overcome challenging health-related phases in my life, I am drawn to themes that intertwine human stories, mental health, spirituality, and visual poetry. I have an in-depth understanding of the Tarot as a storytelling tool, to extract symbolism and explore the human psyche. Music, literature, and personal histories inspire me, and my aim is always to create work that resonates — layered and alive — leaving the viewer quietly moved, thoughtful, and curious.
Over the years, I’ve participated in international group exhibitions, animation screenings, and collaborated with clients and other creatives, while also directing a few projects.
My professional experience spans illustration, animation, hybrid visual storytelling and creative writing.
I work across editorial, branding, and personal projects.
