Capturing Culture with a Spotlight on Astound's Hispanic and Latine Artists!
Astound is thrilled to shine a light on our talented Hispanic and Latine illustrators who enrich the world with their vibrant creativity and distinctive cultural perspectives! ???
We sat down with these incredible artists to explore how their heritage fuels their passion for storytelling. Each artist brings their culture into their work in ways that make their art uniquely theirs, and we are so honored to share their stories with you. ????
Get to know these amazing talents and see their stunning works!
Roman Diaz
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/roman-diaz
"Sin lugar a dudas, mi herencia latina me representa y me identifica, cada que hago una paleta de colores tomó como referencia mucho de las artesanías, en especial el dia de muertos que es tan colorido y vibrante, en mis escenarios siempre hay plantas en macetas, como en la casa de mi abuela o de mis padres. Siempre que me piden dibujar una persona adulta mi cabeza recuerda a mi familia y seres queridos, cuando hago ejercicios de dibujo mis referencias son familiares y creo que eso me caracteriza como latino, la cercanía a tu familia se ve representada en mi trabajo, cada libro que he ilustrado lleva una parte de mi y mi familia, es un triunfo y un honor para todos." - Román Díaz
English translation: "Without a doubt, my Latin heritage represents me and my identity. Every time I make a color palette, I use a lot of Latin crafts as reference, especially the Day of the Dead. It is so colorful and vibrant. There are always potted plants in my scenes, like in my grandmother's house or my parents' house. Whenever I'm asked to draw an adult person, I think of my family and loved ones. When I do drawing exercises, my references are my family. I think that characterizes me as Latino: the closeness to my family is represented in my work. Each book that I have illustrated carries a part of me and my family. It is a triumph and an honor for everyone." - Román Díaz
Ana Sanfelippo
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/ana-sanfelippo
“Soy Argentina, viviendo en Espa?a, y en mi trabajo noto plasmado el valor de los vínculos humanos. Pasión e intensidad son adjetivos que forman parte de mi identidad. Lo transmito no solo en el hacer, en cómo vivo la profesión que amo; sino también en la fuerza de la forma, y en la emocionalidad de los personajes. Cada detalle lleva consigo un olor que sentí, un recuerdo de alguien que conocí, una forma y un color que percibí y elegí para mi." -Ana Sanfelippo
English translation: "I am Argentine, living in Spain, and in my work I see the value of human connections. Passion and intensity are part of my identity. I transmit this not only in my actions, in how I perform in the profession I love, but also in the strength of form and emotion of the characters. Each detail has a smell that I smelled, a memory of someone I met, a shape and a color that I observed and chose for myself.” -Ana Sanfelippo
Silvia Maria Becerril Guillermo
"As an illustration artist with Hispanic heritage, I have always been inspired by the color palette of sea and sun landscapes from Cuba. As a Cuban, I have a special connection with old Soviet Union literature and visual arts. This is reflected and mixed in with my early work as an illustrator. Two years ago I moved to Mexico, and here the people, traditions, gastronomy, and colors are so rich that I felt touched as a creator. Now my art pieces are full of color and references to Mexican holidays like 'Día de Muertos.' Heritage is an important part of who I am as a person and as an artist." -Silvia Maria Becerril Guillermo
Dolo Okecki
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/dolo-okecki
"During my childhood in Buenos Aires, I was always reading animal folktales featuring Argentinean fauna, and especially Horacio Quiroga's Cuentos de la selva. Characters like the yacaré (caiman), the jaguar, and the carpincho (capibara), were a mix of old and even older traditions. Every time I draw these animals, I feel like I'm meeting up with old friends." - Dolo Ok?cki
Addy Rivera Sonda
"My background, lived experiences, and understanding of the world are based on my history and my everyday life, experienced from the particular intersection of my identities as a person of color, a (hetero/cis) woman from the global south (México), an artist, and an activist. These all inform my art and my illustrations, which in turn reflect what I notice in the world, what I pay attention to, what I don't have the privilege to ignore, the changes I fight for, and my dreams for what I imagine the future can be if we work for it." -Addy Rivera Sonda
Carolina Marando
"I grew up in Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city where diverse cultures and traditions converge, stemming from various countries and provinces of Argentina. This cultural richness, along with a mix of French and Spanish architecture infused with the warmth and color of Latin influence, has profoundly influenced my work. I draw from a blend of decorative and ornamental elements, often with a vintage touch, seamlessly combined with vibrant colors, joy, and dynamism. Growing up in a city with such artistic influence, art has always been a viable career path and journey for me. I fondly remember being surrounded by fileteado porte?o, an art style characteristic of this city that adorns everyday elements like buses, signs, and the storefronts of cafés." - Carolina Marando
Nathalia Takeyama
"Growing up in Brazil and being immersed in the rich diversity of its people, culture, and nature has always been a source of inspiration for me. As the child of Japanese immigrants, I’ve experienced a unique blend of perspectives that inspired my appreciation for representation and cultural fusion. It’s important to me to create illustrations that embody this vibrant tapestry of life through color, form, and texture—celebrating the beauty of miscegenation and diversity!" - Nathalia Takeyama
Megan Dillon
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/megan-dillon
"I grew up listening to my grandmother's and father's stories about El Salvador. The wonderful food, the beautiful beaches, the trouble my grandmother would cause with the nuns in school! But my heritage always seemed so far away. All I had were stories, and a few recipes that were passed on. Now every time I sit down to draw, I bring those stories with me and I get to feel closer to them in some small way. My family is very mixed and I am lucky to have many stories to share." - Megan Dillon
Ana Bidault
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/ana-bidault
"I was born in Spain, raised in Patagonia, and have lived in Uruguay for 12 years. Each place has shaped me. Barcelona gave me a love for medieval stories like Sant Jordi i el Drac. Argentina and Uruguay inspire my work with their nature and legends—like the Aguará Guazú, Carpincho, and Latin American myths such as the Nahual and the Mburucuyá flower. All of these influences are present in my illustrations." - Ana Bidault Terra
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Rafaela Villela
"I believe my heritage inspires my resilience and adaptability of process. Brazil isn't the richest of countries, money-wise, but we are a very happy people even in the face of adversity. We soldier on with a smile and warmth that is beautiful to see. You can see spirit that if you visit us in Brazil, in our hospitality and our almost need to celebrate each victory in life with parties and color." - Rafaela Villela
Sol Salinas
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/sol-salinas
"My culture and my heritage color the way I see the world, from the gentleness in my great grandfather's eyes to the loud vibrancy of my grandmother's laugh – culture is in every little thing I surround myself with, which ultimately effects my art." - Sol Salinas ?
Marina Haller
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/marina-haller
"I believe that the culture and idiosyncrasies of my country serve as my vast visual database. It’s not something consciously thought about; it’s intrinsically present in the composition of my images, in the way I tell the stories. It’s a safe and comforting place that fills me with pride and daily inspiration." - Marina Haller
Manu Montoya
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/manu-montoya
"I love to make illustrations based on memories of Colombia, full of tropical animals and plants. I think there is a lot of magic and beauty in Latin American culture: the food, the religion, the family, I try to show all of that warmth in my work." - Manu Montoya
Yoss Sánchez
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/yoss-sanchez
"Drawing inspiration from the people, wildlife and places in my country, I can see how every detail of my artwork has been influenced by it. From the bright color palettes I see in the mountains near my town to the diversity I see in my neighborhood. In some way or another, my cultural heritage will always be present in my work." - Yoss Sánchez
Mauricio Salmon
"I like to look at the rich biodiversity of my native land for inspiration in creating characters and crafting stories." - Mauricio salmon
Jayri Gomez
Portfolio: https://astound.us/publishing/jayri-gomez
"As a Latina illustrator, I capture in my drawings the immense nature of our stories and dreams. I paint with the vibrant colors of my land and bring to life characters full of warmth and diversity, reflecting the unique essence of our Latin identity. My heritage inspires me to create bright and joyful drawings, in which you can always see the light and hope that we carry within." - Jayri Gomez
Andrea Altamirano
"I grew up in a mountain, surrounded by nature and books, lucky to travel for hours with my family across roads and countries to visit the tios near the beach in El Salvador or the primos in Costa Rica. All of this contact with people, cultures, and places has kept me curious to this day. Central America may be small, but is full of contrasts, and it unites culture and heritage from the north and the south. So I've always admired and been surrounded by Native and artisan work. This inspires me to this day as I believe it is the purest manifestation of art." - Andrea Altamirano
Mariano Epelbaum
"I think being from Argentina inspires me each day. I'm surrounded by birds singing, big skies, my little dog, trees, and good music. I also enjoy nature a lot. Living in parts of the world with some bad economic situations prepares you to face situations head-on: you must improve your skills by working hard, studying languages, and being curious." - Mariano Epelbaum
Carlos Velez Aguilera
"I always illustrate from the perspective of the child I was; the colors that surrounded me, the geographies of my days. Mexico is a country very saturated with many objects and colors; crafts and music; food and dance. My house was full of objects, crafts from Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Puebla, and different states where my father, who was a civil engineer, traveled all over the country. I recognize that my love for illustrations full of details and objects is due to all those experiences." -Carlos Velez Aguilera
Background Image by Ana Sanfelippo.
Keep your eyes peeled for exciting announcements on new releases from our artists by following Astound on?Cara,?Facebook,?Instagram,?Twitter,?TikTok?and?LinkedIn!
Astound US Inc Artist Agency is a New York and London based illustration agency with the best contemporary children’s book illustrators and greeting card designers. We connect publishers and illustrators from around the globe.
You can also view the artwork and read the article on our website here: https://astound.us/news/spotlight-on-astound-s-hispanic-and-latine-artists