At the beginning of this year, the Dutch broadcaster VPRO aired the documentary series Awake in Paraguay, exploring a particular group of Dutch people who have been buying land in Paraguay in large numbers. Their motivations often stem from a deep distrust of the Dutch government and a broader sense of suspicion towards society.
When creating the accompanying illustration, I wanted to avoid making a judgment or pointing a finger. Instead, I imagined a distinctly Dutch figure asleep against a tree in the warm sun, his skin turned a vivid orange from the heat. The border surrounding the image is filled with familiar Dutch clichés and symbols.
The result is a quiet and serene composition rather than an accusatory one. Yet, the combination of the title and the image may suggest that this departure is a kind of escape, and that perhaps these people are not truly “awake” at all, but asleep. That interpretation, however, is left entirely to the viewer.
The illustration was created entirely in pencil.