This illustrated project is part of a collaborative book that celebrates the rich oral tradition of the Wayuu people, an Indigenous community from the Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia. The story, “Eperrui and Why the Toads Sing,” is a mythological tale rooted in Wayuu cosmology, exploring themes of nature, transformation, and ancestral wisdom.
Through illustration, the project aims to honor the voices and cultural heritage of the Wayuu, bringing their stories to new generations in a format that is both educational and emotionally resonant.
To bring “Eperrui and Why the Toads Sing” to life, we focused on creating a visual language that respectfully reflects the Wayuu worldview. The narrative is guided by natural rhythms and oral storytelling structures, which influenced the pacing and visual composition of each spread.
Aesthetically, the illustrations were inspired by Wayuu patterns, desert landscapes, and traditional color palettes—warm earth tones, deep blues, and bold geometric textures that echo their handwoven textiles. Special care was taken to depict flora, fauna, and symbolic elements in a way that is both accurate and evocative, building an atmosphere that feels deeply connected to the land and its stories.
This visual approach not only complements the mythological tone of the tale but also reinforces the cultural identity at the heart of the project.
