Art from here
The fantastical world of Ruth Banon
“I have always been very creative, and since I was little I have been drawing in charcoal pencil. It is funny that, at first, I did not use colour. I made lots of things with my hands, such as embroidery, carpentry and other activities. At one point, I went to an exhibition by a friend who painted in watercolour, and I was enchanted. The very next day, I bought a small basic watercolour kit and began to paint. I was 21 at the time. During my teens I preferred music, and I even belonged to a band. I had not painted since my childhood, but I became more and more interested in this technique and, today, it is the form of expression most present in my illustrations.
I am an illustrator: I make individual pieces, illustrate stories in books, and design book covers and posters. I also produce illustration-related products, such as pencil cases, furniture and tote bags. At the moment, I work in two different ways: watercolour illustration, which is very much inspired by nature and by my life in Mozambique, and collage, a fusion of old photographs, illustration and botany. I love painting trees, flowers, vegetation in general, landscapes, animals and the African world, nature. For me, it is a poetic journey in which I like to create something unusual and unexpected, a poetry of representations. A fantastical universe, for example a boy flying on the back of a bird or a fish on top of a woman’s head; I like to mix the animal world with the human world, to understand the intimate relationship that exists between all living beings. We all come from mother earth, and I am immensely interested in that connection. This ends up coinciding with the moment we are living through globally at present; it seems, in a way, that we are living a parallel life. Our greatest link to life, even though we occupy cities, is nature: the woods, the flowers, the mountains, the sea and the ocean. I really enjoy researching, looking at the influences found in artistic representations all over the world, getting to know peoples through their artistic expression, from South America, Africa and Asia. I end up absorbing some influence from these forms.
I never went to a school to learn how to paint; I discovered myself little by little, on a very intimate and personal path. I studied anthropology in Spain, but my soul goes much further. I admire many illustrators from all over the world, French, Spanish, lots of people. I learned by watching other illustrators, and by drawing on those sources, as well as on comic books; that was my school. There is a great deal of talent in Mozambique, but there are three people I particularly admire: Luís Cardoso, Samuel Djive and Celestino Mugumela, whose art is among the most original I have ever seen.
“At the moment, I work in two different ways: watercolour illustration, which is very much inspired by nature and by my life in Mozambique, and collage, a fusion of old photographs, illustration and botany.”
It all begins with a doodle or sketch on paper of what I want to draw. I have a few basic ideas in mind, and I start to paint; I do not do much preparatory work. It is just me, the brushes and the paper. I usually work with music on and become very focused. I never know what the final result will be; when I find an idea, I let myself be carried along. The magic of watercolour is that you cannot always control the technique too much; you can do more or less what you intend, but surprises may occur. I make use of those very surprises to make the drawing evolve in a certain direction, and it is interesting that, at times, they turn out more beautiful than I expected. I do not usually interrupt a piece of work or give up because I am not managing to achieve the result I was aiming for. I start and finish on the same sheet of paper. It is a journey I surrender to, and I am satisfied with the spontaneity of each moment.
As for other forms of artistic expression, I really like music, and I love playing the tambourine and singing. I have a brand called Saraba, and in my former gallery, Machamba Criativa, I had plenty of items I had made, such as toys for children, jewellery in fabric or leather, pencil cases, furniture and other things. I love creating objects that relate to illustration.
The world today is shaped by technology, a tool that can be used to create and open up new spaces for creation. I am not yet very proficient, but I have been learning a few things, because much of my work is done by hand, though there is a digital component in the collage. There is a lot to do. I want to explore, but I do not intend to stop making things by hand, because that stamps my character and personality on them. I paint almost everything with brushes and pencils.
My plans for the future involve continuing to create and to learn, learn, learn… I also intend to grow in my profession. I feel privileged because I love what I do; I do not see it as an obligation, it is as if I were playing like a child. I want to explore new techniques, new ways and forms of painting, to travel and to find inspiration in other places. I want to hold exhibitions, publish an illustrated book and enjoy my work, which, for me, is the greatest gift in life.
For more information: Instagram/Facebook – @sarababyruthbanon
