How Did I Not Know?

Inspired by Persepolis by Marjanne Satrapi and Les Cahiers D’Esther by Riad Sattouf, I came up with illustrations portraying the experience of LGBTQ+ youth in a predominantly homophobic country that reeks of heteronormativity, in an exercise of looking back at experiences that made me feel out of place and confused, through a grown-up, sarcastic retrospective look.

My project is composed of an envelope and a booklet: the first one has a letter dedicated to my past self, and the second is the visual depiction of my growing up discovering my sexuality. I was really keen on keeping everything simple and handmade, to preserve the authenticity and universality of my storytelling.

This project has turned out to be very therapeutic for me, as I retraced some memories that were unpleasant at the time, turning them into something beautiful. I realize how much I’ve grown and looking back at my experience in a concrete project makes me feel very accomplished and proud. The beauty of it is that the story is still unveiling, therefore I hope to be able to push my project further in the future, documenting the trials and tribulations of exploring self-identity.