Giraffes peeking at the entrance door, a family of ducks marching in orderly line towards the Emergency Service, little bugs fluttering under the gaze of a pair of intertwined flamingos at the reception area, bears, gorillas and owls near the consultation rooms, dolphins, whales and fishes in patient rooms, and in the inpatient and intensive care hallways: for some months now, the animation is ongoing in the Children and Adolescent Hospital, at Hospital da Luz Lisboa. These spaces have gained a new life with the illustrations designed by António Jorge Gonçalves and are delighting all those who walk through there, not only the little ones, but also the oldest ones. The expansion of Hospital da Luz Lisboa to the double of its capacity allowed to create several dedicated areas, among them the Children and Adolescent Hospital , which includes all the intervention areas in Paediatrics. In here, children, youths and their families have autonomous spaces, exclusively projected for them, with its own identity and, above all, with a friendly atmosphere. The decoration is, therefore, fundamental, a contest of ideas having been launched among Portuguese illustrators and designers. Many good proposals were put forward, and the Luz Saúde choice fell upon António Jorge Gonçalves. The designer drew inspiration from his own experience as a father to elaborate a project that is based on Nature and on the appeasing effect that its elements may have on children, when in hospital. “I devoted myself to research about the approaches that are used throughout the world in similar situations. From that exploration and reflexion, I got the idea that it would be important to create with my drawings a kind of a mental window to the outside, to a space wider than the hospital facilities”, explains António Jorge Gonçalves. The decision to focus the approach in the evocation of natural environments, delegating to friendly animals the mission of keeping company with the children, was based on the assumption that children “know that an animal may be a loyal friend and that they seem to feel more connected to Nature, from early childhood”. The illustrator chose three main themes: in the reception area and the Paediatrics Emergency Service, animals and insects that evoke the scents, the joy and the stories of a Garden; in the external consultation area, some imaginary figures and animals of the Forest, that are classical in children’s playing; in the inpatient area, animals of the Ocean. António Jorge Gonçalves drew many of these animals with their cubs, always in a protective or playful attitude, in postures and actions that seek to foster a positive distraction, “inviting to watch and interact”. Thus, the next time you come to the Children and Adolescent Hospital, at Hospital da Luz Lisboa, don’t be surprised to notice that some of those animals “follow you along the corridors, keeping you company and winking at you, just around the corner”. António Jorge Gonçalves started his career in cartoons, did comic strips for several newspapers, and did drawings for shows and to decorate private and public spaces. He recently launched a book – “Desenhar no escuro” (drawing in the dark) – including 82 illustrations sketched with white pencil on a black surface, depicting urban and natural landscapes, and moments of everyday life, that he produced during the lockdown periods. Presently, his work can also be seen at Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, in Lisbon, for he is the author of the drawings decorating the protection walls of the rehabilitation works of the Modern Art Centre. António Jorge Gonçalves on SIC channel
