Amaia Bonachera, who graduated in 2022 with a BFA in Digital Art and Animation, has been recognized as the winner of the official poster contest for the San Fausto festivities in Basauri, a municipality in Bizkaia located in Greater Bilbao with a population of just over 40,000. Her work is titled “San Fausto zeruan” (San Fausto in the Sky). Her poster will serve as the official image of this year’s festivities, and she has been awarded a prize of €1,500.
A Work with Meaning
The design portrays the farewell of the Eskarabillera, rising into the sky among balloons and surrounded by characters from each local cuadrilla (groups of people) that symbolize the festive spirit of the town. “I’m from the Alaiak cuadrilla, so I decided to include myself in the poster as a unique signature, in the form of a little figure from Alaiak eating a talo,” Amaia explained.
“It was a surprise; I didn’t think I would win. I had set it as a New Year’s resolution for 2025. Just participating felt like a challenge and something exciting to do. The prize is great, but what really excites me is knowing that the poster I created will be on pamphlets and all around the streets of Basauri.
- Amaia Bonachera
Amaia and Her Time at DigiPen
During her time at DigiPen, Amaia developed several projects that showcased her style and versatility:
Mirlo Above the Sun
Mirlo: Above the Sun (May 2021): Amaia contributed to this hack-and-slash adventure developed by a student team at DigiPen Europe-Bilbao. The game follows Mirlo, who must fight against the Solarean civilization to free the forest’s Beasts, kidnapped and exploited for energy. Recognized at several festivals, the project won Best Basque Video Game at the Fun & Serious Game Festival 2021 and the Game Erauntsia Awards 2022, and was a finalist at the Quirino Ibero-American Animation Awards 2022. It gathered over 100.000 Steam Library Additions.
HeartBits
HeartBits (October 2022): Amaia worked in a team of seven, contributing to production, layout, animation, and compositing. The animation tells the story of a robot who collects mechanical parts in a forest and falls in love with a nymph, attempting to imitate her with elements from the environment, while a caterpillar looks on. The short was recognized at multiple festivals: Animafantasia 2023 (Best Sci-Fi Love Story), Animainzon 2023 (2nd Jury Prize), and the Quirino Awards 2023 (nominated for Best Student Short Film). It was also selected for 11 other festivals, including Weird Market, Athens Animfest, Animakom, and Mecal Pro.
Working in the Video Game Industry
Amaia Bonachera has made her mark not only with her poster but also as a 3D animator in the video game industry. She was part of the DigiPen alumni team that contributed to the development of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed, where she collaborated on animations and cinematics. Her training at DigiPen equipped her to adapt to the technical and creative challenges of a professional production.
We are incredibly proud to see how artists from our institution, like Amaia Bonachera, transform their creativity, effort, and training into recognition that connects so directly with local culture. We hope she continues bringing color to our celebrations for many years to come and inspiring new generations of artists.
At DigiPen Europe-Bilbao, we aim to prepare young artists and programmers for a global world while staying rooted in the local. Amaia’s poster for the Basauri festivities reflects exactly that: linking what she learned on campus with the traditions of her hometown.
Zorionak, Amaia!