The Mexican children’s artist and author, Plasticine Memovisited the Dominican Republic for the first time. Dozens of children learned about his story books illustrated with the art of putty or plasticine, as it is known in Mexico.
The artist has captivated children and adults with the innovative artisanal way of creating his stories and characters that are handmade with putty.
During his stay in the country, the renowned author visited various educational centers where he offered several painting workshops made with putty in order to awaken children’s creativity and allow them to experience reading in an entertaining and creative way.
Besides, Memo took his books to the fourth edition of the International Children’s and Young People’s Book Fair (FEILIJ) which took place in the central atrium Agora Mall.
Free Diary He spoke with the artist about his work that encourages young readers to create.
Combining the children’s literature and the putty
Memo started as an illustrator collaborating with some Latin American writers about 12 years ago. But the putty came to books as a way of make a living.
He was studying at the university in his town of Guadalajara and found a job doing creative workshops for children using the putty as part of promoting a brand.
This was not foreign to José Guillermo Castellanos, the artist’s real name, as he grew up reading comic strips.
“At university I was already working with putty and we had to do an editorial design project. It was the first time it occurred to me putting putty together with children’s literature. I did the first exercises, the result was very beautiful and I was left with the idea that yes, there is a path to explore here,” he tells Free Diary.
This is how your books come out
Plasticine Memo innovated in this discipline. How do you create everything? Instead of speaking, he took a small painting and began to make a sketch based on putty. The result was a striking yellow dinosaur with red vertebrae.
Thus, once the works are finished, the artist, accompanied by a photographer, takes images of the pieces that, later, They go to the model to illustrate the book what you are doing.
Despite the rise of Artificial intelligence and the technology, Plasticine Memo believes in the traditional and promotes it.
“Although technology continues to advance and AI now makes incredible images, artisanal work will always have its place. Because it will be highly valued if it is made completely by hand by someone. This work, unlike what is generated by intelligence artificial, it has soul”Artist and writer
- Before sculpting the puttythere is work of planning, drawing, sketching and of course, some errors.
In the end, these characters in putty They come to life and are in the stories “Terrible Lizards”, “Footprint” and “Evasaur”available in the DR in all stores Cost Books and on its website costslibros.com.
- His most emblematic character is Evasauruswith which the idea of ​​mixing humans with dinosaurs began. “Evasaurio is a Tyrex girl, who has a Tyrannosaurus Rex tail. In the book, she meets another being who becomes her friend and there she realizes that she is not the only Tyrannosaurus person in the world.”
His plan is to make a book series of Evasaurus. In this universe there are around 13 characters, including Memo and Tirex. And is open to making an alliance or becoming plasticine brand ambassadoras well as presenting a sculpture exhibition.
Workshops with Dominican children
The artist and illustrator thanked the Dominicans for their welcome and highlighted the imagination that the children expressed in their artistic creations in the workshops held.
Hans Kuehnvice president of bookstore National Cuesta Center commented on the visit of the artist from Para Cost Books It is “vital to support the love of reading and the development of creativity from an early age. Making available to Dominican children various ways of knowing and enjoying reading through specialized authors is part of the commitment of Cost Books “to encourage reading and promote culture in all its dimensions and this author does it with great creativity.”
The work of Plasticine Memo He has traveled from Mexico to countries such as Israel or the United Kingdom, and is a workshop leader at important cultural events, such as the Guadalajara International Book Fair.
“The message that this narrative seeks to leave is diversity: that differences are part of personal pride.”Authenticity is there in the differences.”he concludes.
