Xinhua News Agency, Havana, June 21 - Interview: "Coffee and humor are two things I can not give up" - Interview with Cuban cartoonist Ares
Xinhua News Agency reporter Lin Zhaohui
"Coffee and humor are the two things I can't give up." Ares, the Cuban doctor and cartoonist who won the supreme award in the global anti-epidemic public welfare painting competition, opened the door to the two majors of his life in an interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters. Hobby. "For us Cubans, social life and body language are very important, and the isolation measures taken by the government against the new crown epidemic have made our lives very complicated."
Ares is a psychiatrist, but his love and talent for painting has made him an internationally renowned cartoonist, and has won more than 150 international awards related to painting to date. He said that this public welfare painting contest proved that "caricatures can be an effective tool to meet the challenges of the world."
Ares said that people are using various methods to overcome the loneliness caused by the epidemic, such as drinking coffee, creating a humorous atmosphere in the family, and enriching social life through the Internet and new technologies. "Fortunately, today's new technology allows us to express ourselves through social networks and make up for the reduced human interaction in real life due to the epidemic."
It was through the Internet that Ares learned about the global anti-epidemic public welfare painting competition hosted by a Chinese company. "I submitted two works, hoping to win an award, but I did not expect to win the Supreme Award."
On the evening of June 8, the results of the contest were announced, and Ares won the Supreme Award in the adult category.
The award-winning works of Ares used 9 iconic images representing various religions in the world, and arranged these images in a nine-square grid. The work thanked the medical staff in 6 different languages. Ares said that in order to create this work, he carefully studied the diversity of religions and cultures in the world to express his respect for the medical staff who risked their lives to save the lives of others.
Ares was a rural doctor from 1986 to 1990 and later returned to Havana to become a psychiatrist. He said: "I think comics can help understand the new crown epidemic and increase people's awareness of the need to maintain social distance. Psychiatry and comics have a lot in common, because they are related to the thinking of people I care about very much."
In addition to describing the daily lives of Cubans, Ares’ cartoons often express dissatisfaction with social injustice. Talking about his comic works that criticize the current situation, he said: "Doctors cure diseases for humans, and cartoonists cure diseases for society. Humor can promote people's understanding of the complex conditions in contemporary society."
Regarding humor, Ares said: "People often confuse jokes with humor, but my humor is very serious. I not only make people laugh, but also make people reflect and analyze."