Design Research, Illustration, Typography, Printmaking, Animation, Editorial Design
Year: 2023
Team: Reya Ahmed
Conceptually, the illustrations depict a journey of growing older where a central, almost utopian childhood memory is nestled within margins that unfold how our experiences change into adulthood. The project merges illustration with graphic design, following the visual structure and grids found in Persian and South-Asian miniatures. The outer border, with mirrors and reflections situates the story in the present and invites its immediate audiences into the pictorial frame. The different characters, custom Bengali typefaces and motifs are brought into focus through a risograph-animated short film.
To further extrapolate the idea of nosalgia and adulthood, the emerging visual identity is repurposed for cultural practices, for example, the markets and shops in London’s Brick Lane.
The Margins of Memory (short-film) was screened at the Whitechapel Gallery as part of the Oitijjo show in Summer 2023.