Elizabeth Rosales

BFA Illustration

Instagram: @Sketchy_Blep

ARTIST STATEMENT: In this novel, I am illustrating three stories describing personal traumatic events that I have gone through. These stories go over issues such as homophobia, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and more. I created my book as an accordion-fold to separate my stories from statistics I have included from reliable sources. The statistics and information are there to educate readers and help anyone along the way by spreading awareness.

The use of black and white coloring in my novel helps reflect the dreariness of what is being experienced. The one blue color I have used on the cover of the book is in reflection of a small detail I mentioned in the first story about a red sketchbook I had. To me, red and blue are two contrasting colors that are often seen as opposites. The loud angry red book from my past is now replaced with a calm silent blue.

Having created this one-of-a-kind book by hand creates a sense that you may be reading something you are not supposed to. The handwritten-style type font helps support the idea of my novel being personal and written as if it were a secret journal. The ability to have the book expand up to 23 feet is a metaphor to the unraveling of the mind of a traumatized and mentally ill person.

Issues such as incest, self-harm, and toxic relationships are not talked about enough while homophobia, sexual abuse, and cultural abuse are often overlooked. My goal in creating this novel is to help bring light to what I have experienced and reach out to those who may have also suffered through similar experiences so they don’t feel alone.