Édua Szucs caricatures deal with life’s little joys and problems. The Hungarian caricaturist spoke to Karan Bhardwaj about her fascination for symbols
Tell us more about your exhibition life Is like That.
My drawings don’t deal with everyday politics. There are more individual and universal human problems and the rules that interest me. My inspiration is life itself — the bad and good things, poverty and power, the little people and the masses, the rules and how they are bent sometimes.
How do you think your work will impact othersIJ
I like to see smiling faces as well as the serious and thinking ones. I try and appeal to sociological issues rather focussing on the political scenarios. I try to work with symbols known to be identified by anyone. I have observed in my exhibitions which have taken place in the USA, Chile, China and India that the onlookers first laugh and then they are provoked to think of the nuances of each caricature.
What drives your imaginationIJ
I hope that my caricatures are mirrors that show the thought about life. But this magic mirror works for those who are not afraid to meet their real self.
In your works do you draw a line between art and graphic design or are they just different parts of thesame creatureIJ
The most of the caricaturists in the world make drawings with some lines on the paper. I have got the question several times: why I choose the harder wayIJ The simple answer is that I love to draw. It makes me patient and happy at the same time.
What, according to you, is the larger role of graphic artists and caricaturists in a modern societyIJ
The role of caricatures (or humour) hasn’t changed. It helps you to “hear” the thought in a less painful way. It makes you smile. So it’s a way to spread happiness and may be sometimes change the mood of a person too.
Tell us about your upbringing.
I grew up in an artist family. My parents were painters. In my childhood I didn’t know what I would be in my grown up life. I just wanted to draw all the time. After I finished university, I started to work in an animated cartoon’s studio. It was just a small step to become a caricaturist. Though I always desired to become a puppet artist.
How does your childhood affect your worksIJ
My parents belonged to the communist era in Hungary. I was exposed to mainly a dual world — one at home and one outside which was predominantly different. Both the worlds provoked me but I didn’t question anyone. Through my works I want to bring out the truth. I desired to become a puppet designer but somehow couldn’t manage a seat in the institution I had enrolled in. So I ended up becoming an animated cartoon designer.
What are the characters that excited you to drawIJ
I’m excited in everyday events as well as in world politics.
What are your forthcoming projectsIJ
My dream is a book for children, I hope that I can work on it in summer. The other desire is to pen down an essay about my parent’s art. I also wish to visit India as there are talks going on to take my new collection to Bengaluru. While in India, I noticed that the caricaturists in India especially in newspapers focus more on the political scenario.