Where It All Began

‘Stages’ is a short graphic novel depicting the expanse which I term as the ‘Creative Process’ of my life from when I was born to where I am now. It is a series of stages where I have noticed myself change, as an artist over the years. Each page illustrates a story behind its contents, one which I connect to physically and emotionally. Apart from identifying myself as a growing artist, the story also indicates important moments in my life where I was deeply impacted by my surroundings.

This story is meant to depict the way I work within the world and how I have come to identify and express myself through art. Both are interconnected and will always be. I am constantly inspired by the world around me, and it is the things I learn about myself through the external, which help me recognize how I would like to express myself through art. This process is a constant work in progress, which is the beauty of it. So long as I keep learning, I can continue to develop as an artist.

Creating this graphic novel brought back heaps of memories through old artworks, photographs and reminiscing my old self. To see myself grow through my art and portraits (photographs and selfies) is highly rewarding and reminds me of how far I’ve come in life. What excites me is that I have a longer journey ahead of me and I can keep growing – while making mistakes and learning from them.
The beauty of this novel is in using portraiture as a medium to convey different stages of my life, while carrying hints of what was happening in the world around me at the time (through the backgrounds). Both work hand in hand to complete each page and illustrate a message. I enjoyed establishing my identity in different stages and observing their differences. Each stage was beautiful in its own way.