On June 1 – International Children’s Day, an exhibition of illustrations for the new book by the publishing house “Jeanette 45” – “The Book of All Things” by the Dutch writer Hus Kayer and the Bulgarian illustrator Lyuba Haleva was presented. In the cozy space “+ this”, Manol Peykov, Marin Bodakov, Kiril Zlatkov, Maria Encheva and Lyuba Haleva transported the guests of the event to the post-war Netherlands in 1951.
For a long time, the publisher has been looking for a way to publish the book on our market. The main problem facing it is the translation from Dutch and the illustrations, which in most foreign publications “are very meager”. “I decided to publish it in a more special way and for this purpose I contacted two wonderful ladies. One is called Maria Encheva, the other is called Lyuba Haleva” – shared Manol Peykov. And indeed, the way in which this work was published is special. We will not go into the space of the text and the translation, but at first glance the illustrations suggest that this is a book that has been worked on with a lot of feeling, emotion and creative concept. As the artist Kiril Zlatkov shared on social networks a few months ago (and during the presentation): “Such strong book graphics have not appeared in the homeland for a long time, let alone at all. Lyuba Haleva is magnificent.”
The illustrator chooses to move away from the plot of the text, although it allows for a literal interpretation of the actions, and enters into the pure emotionality of the characters. The illustrations are filled with pencil, on old drawing sheets, which were specially selected for the publication and aim to recreate the texture of the diary that little Thomas writes. On the border between symbolism and reading between the lines of the messages in the book, Lyuba Haleva’s aesthetics are not only “beautiful”, but also exude their own emotionality. Placed in the “meeting space”, these images act as independent allegorical messages addressed directly to the viewer. Combined with the captivating text, translated by Maria Encheva, the reader takes into their own hands the fate of a little boy who “saw things that no one else saw”.
Photos: Milena Radeva – more photos here.
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