Amaia Arrazola’s illustrations were full of colors, tenderness and joy. But not even the powerful magic of children’s and youth literature, in which she specialized, can alleviate the pain of those around her: the cartoonist from Vitoria died at the age of 41, due to the sudden advance of an illness, as one of her editorials confirmed to this newspaper. The artist dedicated himself to books, murals, ceramics, advertising campaigns and even clothes, always with a very recognizable seal, and recognized within the sector, where his career was increasingly on the rise. His works leave a legacy of talent, positivism and hope and characters like Simón, a friendly chameleon frustrated by his inability to adapt to all circumstances. A different creature, but no less precious. Rather, the opposite. Simon’s teachings resonate especially now: in his second book, he convinced the bat Melvin not to be afraid of night and darkness.
Arrazola, in fact, studied Advertising and Public Relations at the Complutense University of Madrid and began working as an art director in the advertising sector. She never abandoned it, as throughout her career she continued to collaborate with several famous brands, but starting in 2010 she changed city and, little by little, area: she moved to Barcelona and began to build a certain fame as an illustrator. freelancerespecially in literature. In a TED talk on creativity in 2015, he described his work as “the best in the world.”
The history of her website begins that same year, with work on the Small & Large collection, where she adds images to María Isabel Sánchez Vergara’s texts on the life of Audrey Hepburn. Then came solo and co-authored books, for children, teenagers or adults, based on imagination or one’s own personal experiences. A bit of everything, but always in his own way, with his own style.
dedicated The meteorite (Lunwerg)one of his most famous works, to his daughter and motherhood. “Who am I now?” asked Arrazola, drawn in that book, published in 2020. The answer, at least on the professional side, drifted towards children’s literature: in fantastic animals AND He how are you? (both in Flamboyant), proposed games and questions to the little ones to help them understand their emotions. Simon It was her first solo illustrated book: the chameleon fascinated readers and the author herself so much that it deserved a sequel dedicated to the night, published in the same year. Through her creation, the cartoonist spoke about acceptance, differences, respect and trust, recurring themes in her work. Diversity or barbarism is the title of a mural he created in 2022. A few months ago he collaborated Reflections of a commitmenta collective book aimed at giving visibility and support in the fight against breast cancer.
The presence of Japan is also frequent in his books. In 2017 he won a month-long artistic residency in the city of Matsudo. And he launched the project Amaia was here. “My artistic proposal consisted of creating a visual diary (…). Basically I dedicated myself to walking, observing, analyzing and drawing. Hours and hours walking in an eternal city. The walk and the pencil as a method”, he describes himself on his website. He completed the initiative with a mural, even though his connection with the Japanese country had only just begun. Once he returned, he collected that material in the book Wabi Sabi. They followed him Totoro and me, about his passion for Hayao Miyazaki’s animated films, or Under a starry sky, focusing on Japanese myths, legends and traditions.
The artist has painted colossal works, such as the gallery of murals that he has spread throughout Spain and which can be reviewed on his website. And even very small creations, such as his recent book-mask project, designed and created specifically for newborns. The third, The savannahis still awaiting publication. Even though Arrazola is no longer here, his works will continue to generate joy. And something even better: new first readers.
