Raspberry Red

Raspberry Red is a coming-of-age graphic novel about an over-responsible teenager who learns she has autonomy— by breaking rules, combating isolation, and expressing herself— as she watches the moral order unravel.

Characters

The story follows Eliza, who is often isolated and trapped in her mind. Her sister, Elena, who is ten years younger, forces her to get out of her mind and make confident decisions.

Themes

Because of Eliza’s anxiety, she has high spatial awareness. Getting her own room became a rescue from domestic violence in middle school. After she is safe from threat, her room provides her the ability to thrive creatively and avoid conflict with her mother. Eliza becomes very unsettled when she learns she is about to lose her room. Finally, this causes her to make rebellious decisions from that place of anticipating anger and loss.

Exhibition

I created three posters in floating frames— with cutouts to reveal the raspberry red wall behind, creating intimate “windows” into the internal world, next to a real window sculpture. I used my three posters to explore emotive dynamics using the combination of comics and fine art and Risograph as a medium. The attention to environmental design shows the maturity of the character.