Today we’d like to introduce you to Adua Hernandez-James.
Adua, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Adua Hernandez. I was born in Venezuela in 1992 and have been creating art my entire life. I painted my first mural when I was two. My mom didn’t appreciate my wall art, but I got better with time.
I studied illustration in the Instituto de Diseño de Caracas graduated in 2013 and; since then, I’ve been working as an illustrator and having so much fun exploring new styles and techniques.
But who am I? How do I define myself? People say that your environment defines who you are, but it was not my case. Because of the turmoil in my country, I spent most of my childhood isolated at home. Living in Venezuela wasn’t easy. I have had to face challenges that I hope most people don’t have to deal with it (a totalitarian regime, a lack of security, and food, power, and water shortages), and what kept me going was reading books and watching animated shows and movies. Fictional worlds created a safe space where I could escape and express myself, and that’s how I knew I wanted to illustrate books and be involved with larger projects, like animated shows and movies.
In 2019 I moved to Dallas, Texas to continue my career in children’s literature. Since then, I have worked on over 35 books, was featured in a Gallery in New York, and have 2 upcoming books with Sesame Street.
In 2022, I got married to the love of my life, Neil James, and together we share a love for creative storytelling.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes, there have been plenty of obstacles. Living in Venezuela, I faced a lack of security because of the political and socioeconomic turmoil, spent hours in line to get just a few grocery items, and experienced water shortages combined with multi-day blackouts.
After graduating from the Instituto de Diseno de Caracas, finding a job as an illustrator in a country that doesn’t produce children’s books was difficult. I took a job as a graphic designer and later as a marketing coordinator for an investment bank, but I never quit drawing. I kept sketching and posting every day on social media and sold my artwork independently, but I always knew I wanted to illustrate children’s books.
Melanin Origins gave me the opportunity to illustrate multiple books for writers based out of the United States and brought me to DFW.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an illustrator specializing in digital illustrations for children’s books. I am known for designing characters with expressive emotions, like, when a character is scared or sad or when they are happy and confident. I am also experienced in illustrating diverse characters, and many of the books I have worked on depict black characters with a variety of authentic hairstyles and textures.
In one of my latest books, “Everyday Superheroes, Women in Energy,” I had the opportunity to design characters based on inspiring and smart women from all around the world.
More recently, I am most proud of my work with Sesame Street through Penguin Random House, featuring Elmo and his parents. Both books, “Elmo’s Mommy Day” and “Elmo’s Daddy Day,” are already available for presale. I am also very excited about the independent series Lovable Lucy, which follows Lucy the dog and her adventures with family and friends.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is constantly growing while doing what you love in the process. I also consider having a balance between work, family, and health is a success.
I’m proud of how far I’ve come and how my portfolio has improved since I moved to the United States. I want to continue pushing forward and try different media. I would like to explore other creative areas like visual development in the future
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aduahernandez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aduahc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aduahc
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/adua_hc
Image Credits
Norma Roth
Shayna Penn
Interabangs Books
