Publication Design

I Could Be Lopsided | Shira Anisman

“I Could Be Lopsided” is from a series of three illustrated short stories exploring magical realism, irrational fear, and obsession. They are autobiographical, fictional, fun, and funky.

Digital illustration. 2020.

Shira Anisman is a Vancouver based illustrator, working primarily in watercolour, ink, and digital mediums. Her work focuses specifically on storytelling and self portraiture. Through whimsical illustrations, she deals with heavier topics of abject bodies, fear, and feelings.

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by Shira Anisman

Gentille Flowers | Kelsey Chevalier

About the Project

Gentille Flowers is a series for girls and women to grow with, in age, perspective, and knowledge. Although this particular book is Volume 3 of Gentille Flowers, it is the first book to be published. This is because through my exploration of the topic, I realized that there was so much information to cover, and I wanted to cater each book to different age groups. Volume 3 is intended for girls and women 16-25. It was inspired from my own life, I kept hearing stories of young adults not knowing simple anatomy of their own body, nor hygiene and other related health topics. In addition, I wanted to normalize the female body, instead of covering it up. I feel that this can help women and girls grow more healthy relationships with their bodies and diminish the vast number of body image issues seen in youth today. My hope is that this book can also be educational for men and boys, to better understand and respect the female body, rather than sexualizing and shaming it.

Working in graphite allowed me to link to my past experiences to draw forth topics for this book. Overlaying digital color helped me integrate my knew new knowledge into these past experiences. The leather bound book is intended to be a coffee table book, creating a public space for readers to endure vulnerability. The book format plays a crucial role in allowing the viewer to have control over their experience with the book.

Artist Statement

This book of mixed media illustrations depicts ideas and taboos of the female body, and seeks to give the viewer a sense of control over their own experience of the work. The work intends to facilitate awareness about feminism and raise questions regarding equality for women.

About the Artist

From the small city of Fort St. John in N.E. British Columbia, Kelsey Chevalier came to Vancouver to study art at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2016. Having come from a conservative family, she was thrilled to be given the opportunity to pursue her passion in art and is pleased to have completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration in the class of 2020.

Kelsey has also spent time volunteering in community events in Vancouver, such as the “Get Lucky” art show presented by District Local in 2018, as well as creating coloring pages for Surrey based Syrian Refugees in an effort to help bridge cultural barriers and assist in introducing them to their new local surroundings (2019). In the fall, she also volunteered with the Artbreakers Art Market. In January 2019, Kelsey showcased her illustrations at the “Reflect” showcase presented by RAW Artists.

She looks forward to doing her second show with RAW in Victoria in the future. Her work focuses on creating narratives through humourous motifs. Some of Kelsey’s work focuses on health and anatomy topics. She enjoys working in a variety of mediums and is always looking to embrace and explore new techniques and materials.

by Kelsey Chevalier

Speaking in Tongues: Emerging to the Visible | Heeyoon Ellie Seo

The universal but simple short slogans are reliable weapons made of the cohered thoughts by the mass pursuing and sharing the same values. Sometimes it is overlooked at side effects that inevitably arise when people misuse it over time and place. However, we still repeat these slogans as indispensable implements.

In this project, I use them as a tool to establish and manifest my identity as a woman of color who is at the interconnected race and gender, derived from the term Intersectionality.

_alphabet_04 | Artist’s book translucent vellum paper, clear plastic sheet, steel wire, clear fishing tube, 8 x 8 x various (in), 2020

personal is political

my life is not your porn

me too

with you

my body my choice

we should all be feminist

i am a jesus feminist

ninety, nasty, and not giving up

we are sisters, we resisters

i am not a virus

I write them in encode with the “_alphabet,” a group of 26 drawings, which is my constructed linguistic system to transcribe letter a to z inspired by my sense of inadequacy as an incomplete bilingual.

I never dreamed of becoming mainstream; I wanted to be a Canadian.

The way I acclimated myself to immigrant life in Canada was accepting everything about this country unconditionally, even without doubt, objection, or disagreement. I was afraid of the aggressive censuring of those who were opposed to me. I held my tongue.

Nevertheless, the time I’ve been through for over 15 years has told me I am a Korean-Canadian, not a Canadian. I realized that trying to accept everything without understanding was of no use.

“_alphabet” is my method to break my silence and begin to speak.

On the one hand, even though the utterances of women of color are easily forgotten, many of them are repeatedly giving voices through their writings, words, and works.

This project expresses how vulnerable and invisible these words but lasting resistance to this erasure from a distorted perspective of society within the materiality of translucent paper, layering, paper-cutout, light and shadow.

This project is my utterance of a pledge not to hesitate or avoid stand on my right.

I utter for emerging to the visible.

by Heeyoon Seo

Ollie's Backyard (Children's Book) | Asha Lynne Macdonald

Ollie's Backyard is an illustrated 32-page picture book that deals with friendship and the power of compromise.

Ollie’s one wish is to find the swing hidden in her backyard. One night as Ollie falls asleep, she begins to dream of a fantastical world where the swing is hidden, which is filled with colorful plants and creatures. When Ollie finally finds the hidden rope swing, she is met with the opportunity to befriend the monsters guarding the swing and teach them to have fun.