Storytelling · Storyboarding · Illustration

This zine reflects on my experience of grave cleansing as a family ritual of connection and remembrance. I explored the concepts of Tensei or reincarnation in Japanese Buddhism. Using felt tip pens, ink and watercolour washes, I visualised the process of grave cleansing in a traditional graveyard temple. Purple washes and birds were used as a motif for spirits, encompassing the idea of how our ancestors could return to protect the living. This work was inspired by the idea of animal totems in Snakes, an Indigenous story by Uncle Greg Simms.