Artist creates black characters inspired by Turma da Mônica to say that the world can be better without prejudice

Representation is fundamental in our days. And it was by drawing that the artist Jesus Adan Torralba — “Heysus” as he likes to be called, found a way to approach this theme. He was inspired by Turma da Mônica by Mauricio de Sousa to create black characters, raising the importance of talking about issues such as inclusion and representativeness.

O awesome.club thought the idea of ​​trying to seek a better world through art was brilliant and had a chat with the artist to talk a little about his project. In the end we have a bonus to show you. Come check it out. 🇧🇷

Jesus is 25 years old and was born in Portland, Oregon (USA). When he was little, everyone called him Jesus Christ, but to get around the joke, he preferred to create a nickname. He chose to put “Hey” – with the English pronunciation, and “Sus” – with the Spanish pronunciation, forming the stage name “Heysus”. One of his drawings illustrates himself and his fondness for playing basketball (below).

This mixture of the two languages ​​in his nickname and his art were ways the artist found to talk about American and Mexican cultures, since his parents are from Oaxaca and Sinaloa, both states of Mexico (click and discover the meaning of each name Mexican state).

A fan of Mauricio de Sousa, Heysus comments that he was inspired by the structure of the characters in Turma da Mônica to create his own drawings. “I like the contrast between cute and colorful images alongside important social issues that deserve attention,” he said.

He believes that cute characters attract by themselves. And, consequently, whoever appreciates the work will receive the message given through the drawing. “This leads people to reflect on the subject and also attracts those who do not know what is happening in the world on various social issues”, he adds.

another world is possible

One of the messages of his illustrations is that we don’t have to continue living in a world that devalues ​​people based on their skin tone. “We can dream of a better world and build it together”, emphasizes the artist. The drawings, according to him, contribute to inclusion and representativeness, covering an audience of different ages. Heysus defends that for a country to become more egalitarian, it is necessary to fight for its rights.

Heysus’ drawings conquered many people. So much so that he started selling them. The artist intends to continue producing more characters of his own and inspired by Turma da Mônica. “My dream is to one day be able to launch a comic book with my illustrations”, he revealed.

Beware of suspects

With initiatives like this, little by little, it is possible to make more people aware of the importance of representativeness and to take a stand on these issues. Below, a photo of Heysus (center) with his father and brothers.

What did you think of the characters inspired by Turma da Mônica and the Heysus project? Have you seen any similar work out there? Comment below. We’d love to hear from you.