Cover Stories: Saving the Fire by Itamar Vieira Junior

Saving the Fire tells the story of a Tupinambá family living in a Brazilian village dominated by the local monastery. Epic and lyrical, Itamar Vieira Junior blends the intimate journeys of his characters with faithfully rendered elements of Brazilian life in a world where the scars of colonialism still ache.

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Here we talk to the cover designer Paola Saliby, a Brazilian illustrator and visual artist, about their process.

The cover shows a figure wearing a Tupinambá cloak, an incredible mantle made of feathers. These cloaks are symbols of the memory and resistance of the Tupinambá people. Dating back to the 16th century, the few that remain are currently in European museums, depriving people of direct contact with their history. 

In the acknowledgements of Saving the Fire, Itamar Vieira Junior thanks the artist Glicéria Tupinambá for her work in recreating the mantle of her ancestors. How did you approach illustrating the mantle for this cover, and did you use reference images?

Glicéria Tupinambá tells us that the cloak is a spiritually living object, and that wearing it represents a connection between the encantados, their ancestors, and ancestral wisdom. Drawing from this vital and spiritual force, I wanted to represent the cloak as a living entity, constantly in motion, with the figure allowing itself to be carried along by the movement of the feathers. I drew inspiration from images of the Tupinambá cloak, particularly one image that also helped define the color palette.

The local monastery is a haunting and oppressive figure throughout the novel. How did you go about illustrating the Convent and Church of Saint Antony for the inside flaps of the cover.

It was challenging to create this illustration because the architecture of the Convent and Church of Saint Anthony is full of impressive details. I used a few images as reference and tried to portray the whole environment without making the illustration feel too busy, while also ensuring that it didn't look too distinct from the visual style of the book covers.

You have designed the covers for both Crooked Plow and Saving the Fire. How did the process for designing this cover compare? And is there a visual language you're building for this series?

I thought a lot about the illustration I did for Crooked Plow while creating the cover for Saving the Fire, as I wanted the two to share a similar visual language. I love that while the art for Crooked Plow focuses more on the environment, the illustration for Saving the Fire puts the character at the center of the composition. They're distinct in that way, but I like to think they're connected somehow.

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Were there other sketches or ideas you had that did not make it to the final version?

I also made a sketch focusing on the figure's face, with the cloak's feathers in motion. In the background, there is a simple sunset landscape. It’s a more delicate version, whereas the chosen one better represents the strength of the Tupinambá cloak.

What are pieces of art that have been inspiring you lately? 

A few months ago, I had the chance to visit artist Abel Rodríguez's exhibition in São Paulo and I was completely captivated by his extraordinary drawings. Born in the Colombian Amazon as a member of the Nonuya and Muinane communities, Abel drew to share his knowledge of the forest. I especially love his drawings of giant trees, painted with rich detail and interesting textures.