Manček has held a special position in the Slovenian illustration scene for several decades, owing to his extensive oeuvre of picture books and comic books, said art critic Tatjana Pregl Kobe.

He has also illustrated several famous Slovenian works for children, such as Mojca Pokrajculja, Pedenjped and Peter Klepec.

He is an amazing story-teller with a fine sense of humour, a firm grounding in illustration and a flair for precisely designing his main characters, who are curious explorers of the time and space that surrounds them, she said.

Artist Damijan Stepančič received the Hinko Smrekar Award, named after one of the pioneers of Slovenian illustration, for his illustrations in Arsenij!, a story taking place during the Battle of Cer in 1914, which is soon to be released by the Miš publishing house.

Stepančič incorporates elements from various artistic areas, such as painting, graphic design and comic books, to create a very distinct illustration style that always perfectly fits the literary work and its main message, said Pregl Kobe.

The award ceremony also honoured four other illustrators with Hinko Smrekar plaques and recognitions, including Suzi Bricelj for her colourful illustrations in a collection of poems by author Vinko Möderndorfer and Tina Dobrajc for her illustration in Aleš Šteger's novel Kurent.

As the central review of Slovenian illustration, the Biennial of Illustration unites older and younger generations of illustrators employing diverse artistic methods.

The biennial's exhibition, featuring works by 67 artists, will be on display until 19 March 2017.