Pilarín Bayés
Cartoonist and illustrator (1941) Vic

Pilarín's work is like her: honest, cheerful, mischievous, and simple. She is more than an illustrator; she has enchanted us with her joyful personality and her unfiltered generosity. She was born in a house of Romanesque and Gothic stone in Vic, a post-war joy, as she herself says. She grew up in a diverse and adventurous family that awakened her curiosity and creativity from a very young age. Her grandmother Tura had artistic sensibility, and it was she who most encouraged little Pilarín to draw, keeping every drawing she made. It is unknown how many she has made, but surely there are millions. All of them define a unique and unmistakable style that we all recognize at a glance. Pilarín's work has a clear didactic purpose and offers an unsweetened view of the world, but in her drawings, we can also see the mischievous and fun-loving child she remains at 81 years old. "Childhood is our homeland, and for the rest of our lives, we are exiles," Pilarín often says.