Fife Contemporary

After graduating on Fine Arts in 2016, Aitor Moncho Tudanca, known as Monchi, started focusing on editorial illustration. Then is when their love of illustrating started to germinate, from digital techniques to drawing and printmaking.  

This large A2 piece narrates a non-linear story of characters created after being diagnosed autistic.

After moving and finally becoming established in the UK, Monchi had the opportunity to participate in exhibitions at National Galleries of Scotland, Summerhall and The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, curating two of those exhibitions and running their first workshop. Monchi then developed a first draft of their picture-book Beewitch, narrating their personal story of being late diagnosed as autistic. 

“The story expresses the ups and downs I have experienced going through the process of being diagnosed whilst being in a relationship. It reflects my intention to better understand who I am as a late diagnosed autistic adult as well as the intense experiences I’ve gone through during this journey.”

See close-up narrative details below. Click to zoom

Preparation for every journey, a backpack for every obstacle, a plan for every barrier. While others just go for it, I need a plan for every outcome so I can avoid unnecessary stress and do not freeze on the moment.  

The tension that creates in me things I don’t like can be easily avoided with preparation, otherwise I get overwhelmed with feelings and thoughts that stop me on thinking rationally. The fear and anxiety take control; but with the right support I can overcome it.

My autism, most of the times, follows too much of the “black or white thinking”, I can go all-in or all-out. There are days that I wake up facing such a step hill it seems impossible to climb, others is a down-hill where everything just rounds down smoothly.  

Finding the balance is essential, know when to stop but also not to stop for too long. A burn-out is usually accompanied with guilt. Guilt for not being able to do things, but also the guilt for having to accept I need a rest to recharge.

My supportive network is small but strong, I am lucky enough to have a special person in my everyday life, he not only provides me with the very sense of company, but it is also him who makes me rest without guilt; the one who takes care of me when I can’t.

I have learnt that in a relationship what it matters is to support each other. While I do struggle to get out of track and enjoy the journey, my partner tends to get into “side quests”. This is the perfect combination as it allows us to enjoy the track and never get lost.

My autism diagnosis was never conceived before, at some points it was turbulent but at the end I found the piece of puzzle that was missing, I understood all my life. I have been talking a foreign language with myself without realizing. Now a real journey begins.

Each section is a like a chapter, telling a different piece of the whole story. See more details from the illustration below.

About Aitor Moncho Tudanca

After graduating in Fine Arts in 2016, Aitor Moncho Tudanca focused on editorial illustration, ranging from digital graphics through to drawing and printmaking.

Recent exhibitions include Out of Sight Out of Mind, Summerhall (Edinburgh, 2024), Edinburgh 900s, The Parish Church of St Cuthbert Edinburgh, 2024) and Artists at Work 2, National Galleries of Scotland (Edinburgh, 2022). Monchi has curated exhibitions, run artist workshops, and is in development of a picture book, Beewitch, narrating their personal story of being late diagnosed as autistic.

Find out more about In Tension and see exhibiting pages from other artists