the-used-to-be-normal-
eight-tentacled-octopus
MIXED MEDIA ILLUSTRATION X PUBLICATION
This body of work aims to challenge the existing preconceptions surrounding disability. By presenting a graphic memoir I aim to invite the viewer into the daily experiences with my brother, while questioning their understanding about illness and disability.
The white, clean and clinical exhibition space is similar to a doctor’s office, with a single table and chair. As the viewer enter the space they are presented with my creative process which is messy and incomplete. This is to showcase the journey of making sense of disability, which is never perfect or fully concluded. The viewer is invited to sit at the table and “dissect” the graphic narrative as they are presented with my most intimate thoughts and experiences.
This graphic memoir serves as part of a research project surrounding disability and identity, with a focus on my personal experience. My brother was diagnosed with a genetic disorder, Mosiac Trisomy Thirteen at the age of three to four months. I was but four years old and this narrative showcases the complex relationship between me and my brother. The-Used-To-Be-Normal-Eight-Tentacled-Octopus was inspired by my brother’s favourite toy, an orange octopus that no longer has any tentacles left. Despite the struggles, hardships, and trauma, there are many moments where I can laugh and joyfully continue with life as I reach a form of acceptance and some understanding of my brother’s disability. This graphic narrative aims to allow for a clearer, more accurate insight into the life of the family member of a person with a disability. This is not an inspirational narrative about overcoming something tragic.
It’s about
accepting the
beauty of
difference and
human fragility.