BY NAOL GIRMA
Born in 1971 in Figueira da Foz, Afonso Cruz is a Portuguese writer. He is a multidisciplinary artist (illustration, music, literature, photography and film).He is also author of more than 30 books, among which are found novels, theatre plays, picture books, juvenile novellas, poetry, photo-text and essays translated to more than 20 languages.
His books are published in more than 20 languages. He had bagged many awards, for the novel Kokoschka’s Doll. Afonso Cruz is also a columnist, illustrator and member of the band The Soaked Lamb.
He was awarded the European Union Prize for Literature in 2012 for his novel Kokoschka’s Doll. Jesus Christ Drank Beer was considered the Best Portuguese Novel of the Year by Time Out Lisbon magazine and the Best Novel of In 2013.
As an illustrator, Afonso Cruz had won the 2014 Portuguese National Illustration Award for Capital. Besides writing and illustrating, he is a director of animated films in 2016; he published the novel Not All Whales Fly. In 2017, his most ambitious outing, a non-fiction book, Jalan Jalan: A Reading of the World. In 2018, he published his latest novel, The Karenina Principle, and a book for children, How to Cook a Child.
As educational psychologists put it, illustrations help the early reader to associate objects and actions with words. This helps the child to begin comprehending the words and move onto becoming a fluent reader. Illustrations also hold the attention of an early reader and help the child to move the narrative forward without adult help.
Inspiring Visual Thinking – Illustrations in a picture book help children understand what they are reading. It allows new readers to analyze the story. If children are having difficulty with the words, the illustrations can help them figure out the narrative, which can increase their comprehension.
Illustrations are widely used in children’s books because of their visual appeal. They assist the child understand the text better. In fact, at early stages of child development, the books may consist exclusively of illustrations but as children become more adept at reading, they move on to books with more text and fewer images.
Illustrations in story books help in the overall child development by stimulating the reader’s imaginations, heightening perceptions about the narrative and increasing the reader’s sense of observation. Accurate and professional illustrations are also invaluable learning aids for children with short attention span and learning disabilities. Comprehension is made easier for these readers since they can use the images as a support system to strengthen their understanding of the text
At a three – day workshop illustration for children’s books was held at NALA, the Nationals Archives and National Library this week. Alfonso Cruz and Ethiopian illustrators discussed different aspects of illustrations such as techniques, visual languages, and shared experience. Together they created a story that was presented to children, at the Ethiopian Reads Library. Three children were invited to decode the images and tell the story.
The story illustrated during the workshop by the participating artistes was decoded and interpreted by children who were writing their version of the history according to their understanding of the visual narrative. The children were amazing in getting the meaning and creating the story-line. The next step in the workshop was awarding books to the children who participated in the library event writing the story, and some other materials to the library. Obviously a pledge was made to publish the collective book in Ethiopia and in Portugal, including the children’s best stories.
The Ethiopian Herald has intercept the noted versatile artist Afonso Cruz for interview.
How come you become a versatile artist? Could you tell us about the international prize you won?
I always felt convened by different artist. Some are with me since childhood. They invite me to engage in art like drawing and reading. That determined my passion in writing, cinema and illustration, which I developed later. I always found interesting turning these passions into objects, like books, films and songs. My family encouraged me to develop my autistics endeavors, in particular in the area of visual arts. Both my grandfather and father were photographers and I grew up in such environment that really stimulated my interest and exploits in the arts.
It is not difficult to write children’s story being an adult?
We never leave behind the child we once were. To be creative we should nestle characteristics of our childhood, as being curious, insistent and keep on asking WHY?
Literature is printing with words. If so why the need for illustrations for children’s book? Is it demanding? How do you describe the task from your experience?
Illustration and writing are two different languages. They perform different roles in the narrative: they are complementary. For those who had never seen the red colour, the word ‘red’ do not evoke the right image; visual experience is fundamental. It is not a natural extension of the verbal experience. Illustration has the power to inspire kids to alternative interpretations of the story, and to have a more immersive experience while reading.
How did you find the work of Ethiopian authors of children’s story and illustrations?
I noticed the work of the Ethiopian writers and illustrators for children is very important in raising the children interest in reading. Such type of great stories and well- illustrated books invite children to read and love books. Children could also develop their aesthetic appreciation.
How was the three-day workshop you organized here, what particular message do you pass to Ethiopian illustrators?
The workshop was rather interesting; all participants had the chance to share experiences and cultures. The workshop created the environment for introducing its main messages: cultivate openness to other influence and different technical approaches, accumulate the visual richness in order to have the sufficient ingredients to combine and recombine and to cook original works.
If you have any message to convey you are welcome.
Exercise your ability to read and interpret images. Go to museums, art galleries; revisit traditional art- like this. You can mingle the past and contemporary creating something unique within the context of your own culture.
The Ethiopian Herald February 16/2023
