Comic For July: Deborah Senn und Samira Margni

It’s always a pleasure to receive the new comics for each month. I always scroll through the images and image which ones would best fit my living room, or bedroom, or kitchen, or… well you get the idea. Of course, with the wonderful, colourful and dense pictures by Deborah Senn and Samira Margni. i was spoilt for choice. I chatted to them to find out what they love to draw at the moment and the themes that are close to their hearts. 

S: The bathroom. I like the moment of the shower. It makes me happy when drops of water wash my thoughts and I can often find new ideas.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

D: An archaeologist. I loved the idea of discovering dinosaurs.

S: Me too! The idea of finding objects from the past fascinated me.

How would you each describe your style?

Both: dense, colourful, searching, multi-layered.

What are your respective favourite colours?

S: Generally we like to work colourful and dense with many colours, but lately we have rediscovered the power of black. 

D: Certain comfort colours have been popping up all the time. These include pink, a deep blue, as well as yellow for accents. But that changes depending on the project and my mood.

Which themes are particularly close to your hearts?

D: Themes that have shaped both our biographies. These are themes such as home, belonging and also identity(ies).

Where did you grow up and did that have an influence on the course of your lives? Or also on the drawings?

D: Growing up in different places has strongly influenced my sense of belonging and home. I feel as much at home in Witterswil, where I went to school, as I do in my grandparents' garden in Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand. These are the places that have shaped my experience. My experience is where I come from. These themes also have an impact on my design work and I created the picture book «Home» as part of the Bolo Club.

S: I grew up in a small village in Ticino, surrounded by forests. Every summer we travelled to an equally small village, but surrounded by olive groves and dry fields. Both places are important to me because they remind me of my childhood. But what has influenced me and my work the most are the traditions that were kept in my families. Like the polenta by the fire that my grandfather cooked every week for the whole family!

What brings you joy at the moment?

D: Elderflower syrup and papaya salad.

S: That it's summer and I'll soon see the sea. I like the salt water on my skin on a warm, long day.

What is the most challenging thing in life right now?

D: Finding time to pursue my own or joint projects.

S: Finding a good balance between work and free time.

What is your favourite thing to draw?

Both: Endless landscapes. At the moment, however, we enjoy silhouettes a lot.

What can comics, cartoons and illustrations do that other media can't?

S: Visual narration is an effective way to understand part of the world and thus oneself. It helps to explore one's own perception of circumstances, to see things, to understand them and to lose them again. Drawing, orienting, ordering, reassuring.

D: For us, drawing is thinking, experiencing, holding on to and leaving traces. In the end, we always have more questions than answers when we draw.

List a few of your favourite things (or moments or experiences).

Both: discovering a common visual language and feeling carried by each other and the chocolate cake from Xocolatl.

What do a lot of people not know about you two?

Both: We like to give each other a croissant in the morning to start the day.

Thank you Deborah and Samira for the lovely conversation and I look forward to seeing your pictures in the newsletter.