Creating Represent-ations In Illustrations
(feat.Tristan Yuvienco)
With the issue of diversity and representation in media being brought up a lot lately, it just shows there is a greater need for a more diverse and authentic representation. Especially, with the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement - which caused a chain of events that motivated various movements to cry out for systemic changes. Not only in politics, but it has also affected the arts & design community, urging them to further include and represent diversity in their works.
This had been a long withstanding issue that we won't notice if no one pointed them out nor anyone made people aware of it. Because we're so used to seeing the dominant cultures in the media, the lack of representation doesn't seem to bother some of us that much. After all, it's the dominant cultures that create the media content that we consume.
Although, in the world of illustrations, it's quite different. The illustrators themselves represent their culture with authenticity and a complete understanding of their own cultures and the subcultures they show through their works.
"The illustrators have become as important as the art they create because the personal is political. Our times demand a deeper understanding of the vernacular of different cultures and subcultures, of hidden histories and the cultural roots and meanings of images and aesthetics"
-Anna Goodson (Cultural Diversity: The illustrators who are proving just how much representation matters)
Reimagination of Mars Ravelos' Darna by:@trisketched
One of them would be Jose Maria Tristan V. Yuvienco, who’s better known as Tristan Yuvienco. He's a local character designer and illustrator in the Philippines known for his diverse character designs, some of which reflect Filipino culture. Though, despite not being primarily inspired by the Filipino culture, he still admires the aspect that they have a lot to prove.
Illustration of cultural iceberg (Courtesy: Lynch Law Firm, PLLC)
During the interview, Tristan explained how culture is represented using the cultural iceberg. He said, "The surface culture is easy to achieve but the deep culture in the bottom of the iceberg (as shown in the illustration above) is something that can only be conveyed through storytelling."
Tristan also gave us some insights regarding issues in representation, one of which is the danger of cultural appropriation in creating. There is a fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation. He said, "Misappropriating a certain aspect of a culture and taking out the context of it can be damaging. So, it's something to keep in mind."
With that said, it can be quite intimidating to show other cultures different from the illustrator's culture. There is a risk of appropriation if the culture were to be taken out of the right context. Intimidating as it can be, it should not become the stopping point for creating diversity.
Why representation matters and how can you help to enforce diverse representation?
"I think a lot of people need to be heard! Having a dominant culture in mass media kind of stifles open-mindedness.", Tristan answered. Though, despite being true, it doesn't just stop there. Authentic representations also need to become more visible in mass media. That's why he also said that the solution to it is to contribute to creating visibility of culture and taking lead roles."