Monica Ahanonu, Illustrator
What moment has defined your journey the most? It could be a win, a loss, a wake up call, something you think of often and realize how different your journey would be if not for that moment.
My journey has been defined by two things. The first was having surgery on my feet between the 8th and 9th grade. I was used to doing gymnastics for 4 hours everyday after school and after having surgery I had to sit / be in a wheel chair for two months. To occupy my time, I began teaching myself Photoshop and how to animate, so that I could draw my gymnastics routines during time when I was unable to go to practice. Second defining moment(s) are the many mentors that I've had who have encouraged me to do art the way I like and create designs the way I wanted versus the way I though they needed to be to get a job. I wouldn't be doing what I am today if they had pushed me to towards the conventional way of doing art. I was very lucky to have so many incredible mentors to encourage my very different way of designing from early on.
What drives you?
I love working with color and using color to help lift the mood of others and myself. I feel like doing art is my form of meditation because when I am working, I am only thinking about the art, the colors, the shapes, the lines and nothing else. It's very relaxing but energizing for me.
How are you paving the way for people in your community to succeed? Or opening doors that were once closed?
I feel I am opening doors by showing younger generations that you don't have to be just like everyone else or copy someone else's career that you admire to succeeding an industry that you're interested in. By drawing such a wide variety of faces in my work, I am always trying to remind people that just because you don't look like those around you doesn't mean you aren't beautiful. So overall, trying to give confidence to people in my community in both their career choices and the way they see themselves.
Most meaningful project to date ?
My book ICONS - released on February 25th, 2020. This book features colorful portraits of 50 iconic women in history in the fields of music, politics, human rights and film. I had wanted to do a book of portraits for many years. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity come my way and be done with a publisher that creates such beautiful coffee table books.
Link to purchase:
https://www.amazon.com/Icons-Heroines-Shaped-Contemporary-Culture/dp/1797201352
Advice or a mantra you would like to pass on
"Meet everyone and don't ever refuse a meeting." This is something a mentor of mine, Bonnie Arnold - producer of Toy Story and How To Train Your Dragon, said. Thinking this way has helped me learn so many things about various industries, get new perspectives on how I can better my work and other ways that my work can be used that I may not have initially thought of. I have met so many incredible people that I wouldn't have initially thought to agree to meet with if I didn't have this mindset.
Second thing is similar to what I said in response to a question above:
"Just because you don't look like everyone around you doesn't mean you aren't beautiful." I said this quote in an interview I did with Disney Style and now think back to it a lot.
