Pia Guerra is one of the most poignant political cartoonists working today, yet she wasn’t even creating such art full time before President Donald Trump.
Now, when human tragedy makes international news, Guerra is a go-to visual commentator for many readers.
Partly because she comes out of the world of comic books, Guerra composes political cartoons free of labels, instead often relying on the power of scene and the pathos best communicated by the human face. Such visual traits notably come through when the Vancouver-based artist is depicting children in border cages, or as the victims of violence.
“With kids, you don’t want to put them at arm’s length – you have to get down to the essence of the basic emotions involved: fear, sadness, terror, innocence,” Guerra tells The Washington Post. “Find the simple heart of it, and you will pull in the viewer and connect with their empathy.”
Michael Cavna, for The Washington Post, talks to Pia (and Matt Bors) about her transformation.
Link to the San Francisco Chronicle page.