How the Visibles book works! it will introduce you to the black figures who made the history of France

If you were asked to name the black personalities who contributed to the history of France, will you be able to go beyond the fingers of one hand? It is in the face of the sad observation of the invisibility of these figures that Binkady-Emmanuel Hié (founder of Norme, a consultancy, management and creativity agency in the field of diversity and inclusion) and Léo Kloeckner (associate professor of history and geography) have collaborated wrote the work Visible! Black figures in French history published on 18 October 2023 by Stock editions. To enliven the already very accessible short biographies of the 40 personalities from the 17th century to the present that make up the book, Aurélia Durand has created magnificent illustrations. This multidisciplinary artist (digital illustration for books, media, advertising campaigns, 2D animation and other urban frescoes) has worked for companies such as adidas, Nike or Google and artists such as DJ Snake or Sônge. Already the author of numerous books (including This book is anti-racist, sold in more than 450,000 copies and translated into 6 languages), Aurélia Durand wants to convey anti-racist and diversity messages through her art. And for this to miss I wanted to ask him some questions about his involvement in Visible!.

Interview with Aurélia Durand, illustrator of the book “Visibles!” »

How was the book project “Visibles! » and why did you agree to participate?

Binkady and Léo already knew each other, they had worked on the book a year before contacting me. An acquaintance recommended my work to them. I worked on the book for four months, I created 40 portraits in a very short time, but I liked the project a lot, it was my dream to participate in a book like this.

Did you know most of the black figures presented in the book before you had to draw them? Why do you think most of them are so little known?

I didn’t know most of these figures until I worked on them. By drawing I discovered these women and men who made the history of France. The great thing about my job is that I get to educate myself by doing something I’m passionate about. These figures are not known because the history of France is based only on whites. But things will change because the French are increasingly heterogeneous.

Did it often happen that we had no trace of the faces of the characters in question and that we had to imagine them?

For some figures who lived before the age of photography, there were few images of them [comme Anne Mousse, 1668-1733, première femme et sans doute la troisième personne née sur l’île Bourbon, devenue depuis La Réunion, surnommée « la grand-mère des Réunionnais » et qui ouvre l’ouvrage, ndlr]. So I used the lyrics written on them to represent that. The power of drawing lies in my imagination.

Some personalities you illustrated are still alive. Does drawing them put additional pressure on you?

There are 5 women still alive: the model Fidelia, the former announcer, writer, actress and singer Sylvette Cabrisseau, the director Euzhan Palcy, the writer Maryse Condé, the politician Christiane Taubira and the obstacle course specialist athlete Marlène Canguio. I don’t put pressure on myself, I have my own drawing style, I represent them as I see them.

In your opinion, what is a book for adults and children? What are the qualities that both adults and children can like?

It is a book for the general public, accessible to all. The drawing makes the book fun and stimulates the imagination. The characters are drawn with movement, are dynamic and exude positive vibes.

Can you name 3 women you didn’t know before illustrating this book and whose journey particularly inspired you?

• Lumina Sophie, fought against slavery, is a strong woman who took risks to change the world in which she suffered.
• Alice Mathieu-Dubois, she was a black doctor, is a figure we don’t often see in 1950s films.
• Andrée Blouin is an activist who took risks, I love seeing black women speak in front of crowds, it makes me want to be braver and do it too.

How can this book contribute to making black figures better known?

It is a general knowledge book so that everyone knows that the history of France was made with people from all walks of life, it is not limited to just one type of person with a particular social status or gender. . It is a book that inspires minority youth to get started and be courageous in taking action. And it’s also a book for white people to become allies against racism.