Narrative
In September 2018 I started a Masters in Illustration at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. The objective of my thesis project was to create a series of illustrations that tell the story of true-life events of endurance. This research led me to choose two such stories. They resonated both for their visual possibilities as well as the shared themes that run through them; that of resilience and a powerful survival instinct that is drawn from a deep and unique relationship with nature. The protagonists of both tales are young women. The catalyst for this project has been a long-standing interest in non-fiction graphic storytelling. The ability of illustration to tell an event that is unique to the medium and transcends the literal representation of photography and film.
MOLLY, GRACIE AND DAISY – Australia 1931
Three young Martu girls are taken from their home in Jigalong, Western Australia as part of the national policy of forcibly whitening raced children. The three decide within days to escape the abusive and rundown settlement of Moore River and embark on an odyssey that takes them on a 1000 kilometre trek through the Outback. Their inherited knowledge of the land and the world’s longest fence helped guide them home.
JULIANE – Peru 1971
Raised by biologists in a remote research station in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, Julianna Koepckegrew up to be known as the ‘jungle child’. When the plane that was carrying her mother and herself was struck by lightning the 17 year-old fell 2 miles through the sky into the canopy of the Peruvian forest. She was the sole survivor of the crash and walked for more than 10 days through the jungle until she stumbled on a small cabin and was rescued by loggers.