Colombian Heart and Australian Soul

by César Álvarez- Auscol

Picture book illustration and book design- 2024

The Australia-Colombia Dialogue is an independent, non-partisan, and non-for-profit public-diplomacy organisation exclusively dedicated to advancing Australia-Colombia relations.

César Álvarez, Auscol Director, reached out to me with the first draft of a children's book celebrating the traditions and customs of both Colombia and Australia, showing how a bicultural family navigates and embraces both worlds.

He wanted the story to capture the pride of being Colombian-Australian—highlighting the food, nature, daily life, and unique ways of doing things in both cultures

Challenges

Bilingual narrative: Beyond creating the illustrations, I helped adapt the text so the story could flow naturally in both English and Spanish.
Balanced visual palette: Depicting the rich flora and fauna of both countries in a vibrant, colorful way without becoming visually oversaturated.
Cultural resonance: Creating a relatable story that resonates with Colombian immigrant families settled in Australia.

The Solution

To seamlessly integrate both languages, we revisited the text during every sketch and draft iteration. We refined the words to keep the message simple yet impactful in both English and Spanish, ensuring a cohesive relationship between the text and the illustrations.

Fortunately, both Australia and Colombia boast stunning landscapes and iconic elements. We developed a flexible color palette that allowed us to feature both environments harmoniously on the pages.

Through Auscol and its vibrant community of residents and diplomats, we had the opportunity to share early mockups. Testing the draft with the community gave us valuable feedback and helped us gauge the emotional impact of the story before final publication.

The process.

The Final Result