THE LIGHTNESS OF BEING

CLAUDI KESSELS & VALERIA PUZZOVIO

 
 
 

Valeria Puzzovio is a self-taught illustrator from Italy who has sought refuge in the realm of the imaginary since childhood and now works primarily as a picture book illustrator.  “I approached illustration by chance, and when I discovered the world of picture books I felt at home,” she told Cluster, “I’m influenced by cinema, poetry and literature.” Through her work, she seeks to create a space of shared emotional openness, where no dream is off-limits.

Per Quanto Tempo è Per Sempre

 
 
 

Pesa Reggere Leggerezza

 

Her works depict surreal situations with lightness; in her piece selected by Cluster titled Pesa Reggere Leggerezza, a small boy bends his body backwards allowing a string of butterflies to escape, skyward, from his chest. “I like surrealism because it represents the chance of giving voice to fantasy. I enjoy seeing imagination merge with reality to form a world where anything is possible.”

 
 
 
 

Working mainly with traditional techniques, Valeria prefers to use pencils and crayons on cotton papers, though sometimes she intervenes digitally using Photoshop to enhance colour, texture or collage-like layers. As for her motivations for joining Cluster she told us, “I joined this community to share my art and engage with realities far different from mine, affording the opportunity to grow and learn.” Currently, Valeria is working on a series of unique, hand-bound artist books called Sentimental Talks.

Quando Cadono Le Maschere

 
 
 

Butterflying

 

The work of Claudi Kessels has a similarly surreal edge. After many years working as a teacher, she made a radical change, studying at art school before bagging a job as a graphic designer. “At art school, I loved making things, looking at and learning about art so, so much,” she told Cluster, “but graphic design and I were not a great match.” It was this realisation that led her to illustration. After sending some early works to the art directors of magazines, she built up a lucrative client base.

 
 

Yoga

 

Claudi’s work values looking at everyday objects in a new light, a practise that can illuminate otherwise serious issues. “I try to approach the subject matter in a light way, literally by giving my illustrations lots of space, clean backgrounds and bright colours, but also conceptually.” In one work for the Dutch society of Alzheimer's Disease's magazine, a woman in costume blows bubbles in a theatrical display to highlight how hobbies like drama can still be enjoyed by patients. “Maybe the person does not understand everything they say, but they can still shine and enjoy the experience,” she explains.

Free

 
 
 

Her surrealist style is aided by a unique creative process that she calls #messyparade, which includes gathering objects to inspire narrative. In Self-care when studying a woman performs yoga poses balancing on an orange turned alarm clock, while in another work, the subject’s dress is made from a crumpled map. “Often, the photographic element leads,” she continues, “sometimes I pick up trash from my environment to make an illustration with.” Her approach to drawing figures is equally playful, Claudi photographs herself mimicking the desired pose of her illustration.

 
 

Saar Euthanesia

Circular

 

“I felt very alone in my working place, so through Cluster I hope to hear from different artists and learn new things,” she told us, “I like the positive, energetic vibe!” Presently, Claudi is continuing work on her #messyparade project. She has recently illustrated a poetry book about Ameland, part of the Frisian archipelago, for which she used shells, leaves and other natural debris from the island itself.

 
 
 

Emily Dickinson once wrote “hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul,” and the work of Valeria and Claudi share this sentiment, demonstrating a strong sense of lightness and endearing optimism. By defamiliarizing the everyday through their surreal interpretations, they encourage us to seek out this perched, feathered thing even in the darkest moments.

 
 
 

Work by both Claudi Kessels & Valeria Puzzovio can be viewed on the Cluster Illustration platform
and purchased through our Cluster Illustration Online Shop.

Thank you for reading,
Stephanie Gavan & Cluster Team.