Brazil is the plastic surgery capital of the world; doctors there even offer toe liposuction. That’s right, for fat toes. So it’s doubly endearing that the country is also home to Eduardo Santos aka Edull Ardo. The 28-year-old illustrator draws plus-sized women in the mould of Disney princesses, superheroes and generally as people deserving of the spotlight. His series, Ela Existe (She Exists), is a collection of real women rendered as oomphy but not sexualised creatures—think somewhere between the Amul Girl and Jessica Rabbit.
Edull explaind to the website Zaftigtimes the message behind his art: “I want to say that a plus size woman can do everything she wants. Be fat; it’s not a limitation.” To commission a picture, contact the artist on Facebook. Some women submit portfolio-style pictures—close-up, profile, full-length—and some just send mugshots. Like a caricaturist, he picks a defining feature—the way the fringe curls or the print on a shirt—and just runs with it. Stomachs are not flattened, thighs are not whittled down, faces are not ‘contoured’. This artist sees women just the way we all want to be seen: adorable, sexy and having a blast.
