During my MA Illustration course at AUB, I managed to make my short graphic novel.
The theme addresses how notions of peace emanate from the individual to become the attitudes and relations of a community. Wordless narratives storyboard international news stories and the way everyday moralities are played out from the local to the global. The graphic novels and scenes that result, explore commonality as a way of transcending issues of difference. Dark human characters convey meaningful messages throughout. The troubling themes of war and aggression are accentuated through emotive, limited colour palettes and gestural mark-making.
Strongly associative elements such as the human skulls or peace bird are used for their universal reading, creating a visual language of comprehensive understanding. In this way, autobiographical experiences become thought-provoking visualisations of a wider reach. For me, skulls offer the potential for unity and peace in humans, despite their frequent portrayal as fearsome or evil. My skeletal characters have a fresh chance at life through roles that interrogate what is meant by ‘good’. Sarcasm and dark humour are foregrounded in a way that contrasts with the ‘truths’ implied as a means of generating new questions and self-awareness in the viewer.
Few illustrations from my graphic novel.
Final Book and also an exhibition at AUB University (UK) - MA Summer Show LUCID 2019.
My Student Profile on the university website: https://graduateschool.aub.ac.uk/summer-degree-shows/naureen-akbar
