Dario Castillejos, an agitator of critical consciousness/ Mexico,2016

Dario Castillejos, an agitator of critical consciousness /Mexico,2016

Corruption, injustice and arbitrariness that witnessed in court as a lawyer There was studied law at the Autonomous University Benito Juarez of Oaxaca (UABJO) - led the Mexican Dario Castillejos Lázcares to express their indignation by the cartoon. The harsh reality of his country and the world, surpassing all expectations, is their main raw material, to express, through art of drawing, his irreverence and criticism of the established power, whether political or economic.

Born in Oaxaca in 1974, Castillejos, who has spent 25 years as a cartoonist in Mexico, where there is a great historical tradition in this genre, with authors such as Rius, Rogelio Naranjo, Helio Flores, Luis Carreño, and many others who recognize that they have it influenced his work, he is an agitator of critical consciousness, with each drawing published. Readers of the newspaper El Imparcial de Oaxaca looking forward, in every issue, their opinion papers. Darius also publishes his cartoons in the magazine Foreign Affairs Latin America and the weekly El Chamuco, and works for Caglecartoons, Courrier International, VJ Movement agencies, and is President of the Club of Caricature America Cartonclub.

His cartoons have been awarded and applauded in competitions held in Brazil, Greece, Portugal, France, Peru, Colombia, United States, Turkey, Holland and certainly in Mexico, where it accumulates several state newspaper awards.

2016 is a happy for Dario year: recently Almacia publishing house has published his first book "Impressions of a blurred world," and just received the National Journalism Award in the category of caricature, with his work "Historical truth" corresponding 2015. it is the third time you get this award: in 2012 it was with "funeral Elections", reflecting the climate of violence in the country on election days; and in 2014 it was with "Justice in crisis," another deficit in Mexico line.

Volume "Impressions of a blurred world," which has been very well received, is a compilation of papers published in various media, from 2000 to date drawings and includes a hundred cartons, where his incisive look, with ingredients of the absurd , black humor, irony and satire, the author analyzes world events, injustice and violence, freedom and censorship, and the crisis money, fame and culture, and society.

His drawings, which impress the reader by its content, its artistic wealth and impeccable technique, confirm that true art is a provocation, and that the value of a cartoon lies in breaking stereotypes and exercise the mind.

"I like to refer - Dario expresses the issues that cause us discomfort, those in the public rumor, as poor administration of justice, crime, drug trafficking, etc. I always try to approach politics with a critical and humorous look, with the intention not only to report but that he can do a brainstorming exercise in each cartoon. Our work is a social counterweight to power in all its manifestations. Criticism is necessary in a society that aspires to democracy, and humor is a good stimulant to raise awareness. The cartoon in Mexico has a long tradition in the press, however, currently, many cartoonists can not live of his work. In addition, the climate of violence and despair afflicting the country has jeopardized all media workers, including cartoonists ".

Dario Castillejos trace the excesses of power
He states that reality increasingly resembles the caricature; in Impressions of a blurred world launches criticism Fidel Castro and Maduro; also it addresses issues such as obesity and cyberbullying.

For Dario Castillejos reality it seems increasingly a caricature because the excesses of power are present from society to celebrities and politicians. This is what for 25 years has been reflected in their cards: same draws Donald Trump dodging blows that Nicolas Maduro listening to a bird with the face of Hugo Chavez, and also Fidel Castro holding his senescence taking the island of Cuba cane.

Although "criticism is a mirror in which we do not like looking at us" in his illustrations, Castillejos attacks against political, childhood obesity, eating junk food or cyberbullying. No one is saved.

"The power still has the same effects everywhere, cause the same symptoms who have it. We see leaders who were committed to a social cause but once in power became the worst nightmare of those who dreamed them serve, then become caricatures, distorted realities, and we become less caricaturists and portraitists "said the monero Oaxaca, in an interview with La Razon.

Now these cartoons have left the newspapers where he published originally to be part of his recent book Impressions of a blurred world (Almadía, 2016), which meets five decades of work by about 120 cartoons.
Addresses "very broad areas: society, power, money, problems that are very current, a good spectrum covered, is our reality, sometimes with unpleasantness and other, very pleasant things," says the winner National Journalism Award in 2013.

The book is divided into six sections: "Power and proportions," which includes cartons as Cycle migrant, which is observed to undocumented immigrants crossing the border wall between the United States and Mexico, while on a gap in the fence returning coffins; then there is "Injustice and violence" which begins with the cartoon Collateral Damage, in which a gun barrel fall people.
The third theme is "Freedom and censorship" which includes freedom of the networks, in which people can be seen inside a cage tuits writing; the fourth is "Money and crises"; the fifth is "Fame and culture" in which Castillejos pays tribute to characters that "I have marked me for evil and for good." figures like David Bowie, Prince, Gabriel García Márquez, Julio Cortazar, Rius and Macedonio Alcalá appear.

"It was not so deep, I tried to portray them and make them an irreverent homage through the deformation of their bodies because somehow have marked my life," he says.