A book of dreams and for dreamers, that's how Fernanda da Lena's debut children's book, "Sonhos de Barro" (Dreams of Clay), can be described.
Recently launched in Inhambane province, where it was distributed free of charge to schools, the work pays homage to artisans who have the gift of transforming clay into silent narratives.
This is the first literary work by the Mozambican author. However, it is a more didactic work about crafts and their nuances.
This is probably its great magic.
Fernanda da Lena, a name already known in art criticism, revealed that the inspiration came from observing the work of sculptor Renata Sadimba, one of the leading figures in crafts in the country and the world. This is a lesson about her and so many other anonymous creators.
"I saw that those clay sculptures told stories. I thought: who are the men and women who, with their hands, realize our collective dreams? This book is the answer," she said.
According to her, “the true power is not in the hammer, but in the hands that mold the clay every day in our fairs and markets. Magic is a metaphor for the creative act of the artisan, which the world often ignores.”
The idea of distributing the book to schools in Inhambane further reinforces the purpose of valuing clay creators.
“Many children see clay in the hands of their grandparents, parents, or neighbors, but they don't value this knowledge. We wanted to show that this tradition is not just memory, it is a source of imagination and future,” explained the editor of Massinhane Edições, Miguel Chissano.
The illustrator Stefany Virgílio, who gave visual form to the narrative, confirmed the approach.
“We drew the clay creatures with textures and colors that directly refer to the work of the master artisans of Inhambane. They are an extension of their art.”
For Fernanda da Lena, “Dreams of Clay” is a way to “restore the prominent place” to these creators. “The artisan is the first storyteller of any culture. In our case, he shapes our identity with his hands. I hope that, by reading this book, children will look at clay – and at those who work with it – with new eyes.”
The book, a result of a partnership between Massinhane Edições and the Inhambane Provincial Youth Council, will be available in bookstores in the coming days.
(By Joana Mawai)
