Narrative Illustration - Lady Lady

A young man goes through life circling his own thoughts.

Undressing many women and the sections of his mind.

Questions, doubts, hopes and denial mark his journey within.

But does he recognize reality outside of his dreams and deception?

This book is heavily inspired by the artist and musician 'Masego'. His albums 'Lady Lady' and 'Studying Abroad' navigate his thoughts and dreams of the "Perfect woman" or 'lady lady' he is meant to find. However, along the way as he explores and travels the world, he is distracted by many beautiful women. Thus, leaving him wondering if one woman is really enough for a man like him?

As an artist, I drew stylistic inspiration from the French adult novelist and illustrator Yvan Alagbé. His works are often raw, emotive and gritty. His dark colour palette inspired the tone and feel of my compositions as I hoped to illustrate the unclear depths of the main protagonist's mind.

I place the story within the "city of gold", Johannesburg - my home. The city in itself is as alluring as the woman he yearns for. So much promise lies in the city as you get lost in the chase of trying to capture gold. Often times one hears stories of many who fall into traps of pursuits that weren't what they seemed to be. I draw parallels on that feeling throughout the story.

Thank you for reading!

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