Arnal Ballester: Venezuela ★ Illustrator

Born in Barcelona in 1955, Arnal Ballester has always been attracted to art and began to draw at a young age. Although he studied History at the Universidad Autónoma of Barcelona, he also pursued his love of art, studying Illustration and Art at the Escola Massana d’Art i Disseny of Barcelona and at the Artes y Oficios in Lootja. While working as an illustrator for Spanish comedic magazines during the seventies, he created his first work of children’s literature, Les onades, in 1973. Since then, he has gone on to illustrate many books for children and young people as well as continuing to provide illustrations for major newspapers. Much of Ballester’s most important work has been his illustrations for key Venezuelan authors, including Chamario, written by noted poet Eduardo Polo. In addition to illustrations, Ballester has also become known for his work with animation, receiving several awards, including the Festival de Annency Award in 2005. Currently, he is a teacher of illustration at the Escola Massana d’Art i Disseny in Barcelona.

Ballester has won awards and recognition both nationally and internationally for his illustrations. In 1993, he received the National Children’s Book Illustrator Award from the Spanish Ministry of Education and in 1994 the Ragazzi di Bologna-UNICEF named him Illustrator of the Year. Other important awards that Ballester has received include the Critica Serra d′Or in 1995 and the National Illustration Award in Spain in 2008.

Arnal Ballester’s illustrations speak to children though their playful, joyful images, full of bright colors and movement. He also incorporates humor, wit, and metaphors taken from everyday life. Yet, it is for these same reasons that his creations appeal to more mature audiences as well. He uses the texts that he illustrates as both points from which to create and expand his own world around, as well as to challenge their meanings. Yet, Ballester does not need any text in order to create his illustrations: his book No tinc paraules [I Have No Words] provides a narrative that is completely visual.