pupa
Cyprus Ministry of Culture and Education, Literature Awards 2014
Illustration Praise for “PUPA”, Written by Melissa Hekkers
Published by Pantheon Cultural Association Lefkosia, Cyprus 2014
Published in English, “PUPA” and in Greek, “ΠΟΥΠΑ”
The book is targeted to youth age 7 and above.
Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture
Literature Awards 2015
Praised by the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture, ex Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth.
Pupa, a young and unique caterpillar is about to transform into a vibrant butterfly.
She’s about to discover what it means to be able to fly and enjoy the world from above.
Her adventurous nature takes her on a journey that makes her transformation even more meaningful.
When she enters a circus in an unknown land, Pupa discovers the pleasures and importance of living life at its fullest, and savouring every moment of it.
Pupa was written on the basis of an adventure, in this case a fantasy which looks into the meaning of time, accomplishment and drive, using a character which depicts gender connotations through animal-like characters.
Throughout the book, the author has attempted to sustain a visual image of the story which implores the backdrops of the story as well as the situations faced by the leading character.
Illustrating Pupa for me was a challenge! The charismatic writing and richness of Melissa’s text brought thousands of images to my mind. Drawing her took some time in order to finally find the character that suits her best.
The text at times is complex and brings out deep thoughts about life and the real meaning of it, yet it is also playful and humorous. This is not easy to illustrate, and holds many secrets which I tried to evoke through my work.
Pupa is no ordinary caterpillar. She has a human side yet she is not human, and isn’t an insect either. She has feelings and emotions, she thinks and contemplates about life.
Drawing her took some time in order to finally find the character that suits her best.
