Q & A with Andrej Dugin and Olga Dugina

Your illustrations feature an amazing amount of detail. How long does it usually take you to complete a piece? What is your process like?

It takes us anywhere from one-and-a-half to four months per image.First we decide what the most interesting passages are and make a conception of the whole book.I mostly compose and draw and Olga is the painter. After we have a concept for the book then we start gathering research materials from libraries and museums.Then we start working from the first picture to the last,going with the text.Normally we do the cover in the end.

It is extremely rare for two artists to work together so closely. What are the roles you each play? Do you prefer working together or apart?

We prefer to work separately but working together is a necessity ...when the project is big.I am [Andrej] notoriously slow,and Olga speeds the process.I also have a bad back and had stopped illustrating before this project.The only name that could get me out of my cell was Madonna.

How is The Adventures of Abdi different from other books you’ve illustrated?

Before we always did classical stories where the author was no longer alive.This book was also different because the author is so popular.We never expected that Madonna was a writer.Abdi ... presented us with several artistic possibilities—to show a desert,a palace,a small house where an old man was making jewelry.

What message do you hope children will take away from The Adventures of Abdi?

The message which the author repeats throughout—that whatever happens in life is for the best.

What is your favorite part of The Adventures of Abdi?

It’s difficult to say.The story as it is is very attractive.When I [Andrej] see a beautiful woman like my wife I cannot say that either her nose or her eyes are more attractive—beauty cannot be separated.

What is your favorite illustration in The Adventures of Abdi?

The one in which the queen is trying on the necklace ...because the situation is such that we could show a lot of strange characters.We could tell the story that was not told, and hint at something much broader than the text itself.

What was your opinion of Madonna before and after reading The Adventures of Abdi?

Before we thought that she was a great artist,who was forming the world in a sense.She created images of herself for the world,and the world followed.Her new image as a writer confirms that. And we realized that she was changing not only the world, but also herself, which was particularly attractive to us.