Artist Focus: Ghazaleh Bigdelou
Illustrator – IRAN
Illustration is widely spreading and growing in our country due to the efforts and perseverance of our young generation who are taking advantage of their predecessors’ experiences. Ghazaleh Bigdelou is a young artist who is active in illustrating for children. Her art is so accurate and detailed due to her belief in conveying concepts, feeling, and fantasy to the children.
She says: “one must know his audience to illustrate children’s books. Images must satisfy child’s psychological needs through the visual experience of enjoyment; therefore we must pay attention that illustrations convey concepts, feelings, and imaginations in the best way possible”.
This artist is hopeful about the future of Persian young illustrators due to their successful presence in international levels.
Tell us about your artistic background and who you become an illustrator
I have studied painting at university without knowing much about illustration until my first book contract which was so sudden; I became interested in illustration afterwards. After illustrating few books, two of which were my own, I figured out my weak points. It was the time when I found out how hard is illustration and I have to learn for it.
You have so many selected artworks in numerous calls and festivals concerning children. Tell us how you feel when you are working for children
Children are free and think without boundaries. Their world is full of freedom, believe, hope, wonders, fantasy, expanding, dreaming, and …; while there is no place for death in their world because they believe in future and improvement. Unlike most adults who are dealing with the desperate beliefs of reality and their real world. Working for children make me believe in amendment and improvement.
One can see so many careful details in your artworks. Describe your style
One must know its audience for illustrating children’s books; we must consider that the audience is really smart, but limited. He is so smart that he can find errors easily and he is limited because of his insufficient visual experience. We must keep in mind that our audience is expanding his visual knowledge; therefore our content must be equal to his visual perception. Images must satisfy children’s mental need of enjoying his visual experience. Children start reading a book by reading its images; therefore we must keep in mind that your illustration must convey the concept. If you want to do paly this role in its best way, you must pay attention to details more and more.
Tell us about the differences between national and international festivals
Children’s book has become an important financial good; therefore international festivals and exhibitions became more and more important because of their capabilities in introducing better books. Overall, most of the world’s well known festivals and exhibitions aim to improve children’s books and introduce capable artists to the world. Presenting better books in national festivals and exhibitions will surely elevate the quality.
Tell us about your illustrations in children’s books
I have worked on numerous children’s books and I am not satisfied with most of them, especially my first experiences. When I began my work as an illustrator, I was not too serious about it and I aimed to prepare something to issue. Also I was younger and I didn’t have sufficient experience in seeing good works of illustration.
I was so lucky to have my weak works printed with a high quality. Moreover, whatever we do, we are full of errors in comparison to our future’s perspective. I must say that some of my good works have not been issued yet because of economic policies of publisher or so on. One must really be patient in this work.
Tell us about your attitude toward young illustrators, especially in Iran
Young Persian illustrators are talented and their successful presence in international levels is the evidence. I believe that they must pay attention to consider the child himself while illustrating a book. I believe we have so many good illustrated children’s books which have neglected the limitations of children’s visual experience and are beautiful for those who are familiar with art and know this world properly.
I believe such books have forgotten that it’s the matter of children and their amusement. When a child cannot understand the concept behind an illustration, he would think of himself as a weak person. If A children’s book can arose the book-loving feeling in a child, it is successful. Illustrators must care more about this point.
Tell us about your future plans
I believe my job does not have any limitation, and this feature makes it delightful. You must remember that you have to work better and better each and every day. You must remember to expand your visual knowledge in order to take advantage of your talent, and not to repeat yourself in order to be accepted in a specific group or genre. One must deeply believe that everyone has something special which needs to be discovered.
We must observe ourselves every single day to find new things in order to avoid what we have found yesterday. This way, you can be motivated for your whole life.
More About Ghazal Bigdeloo at: Linkedin