“I chose to study this course because it not only focuses on sequential storytelling but also embraces diversity in various media, such as picture books for children, graphic novels, and animation, which are the fields I wish to develop.”

 Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

“My MA project, Never Never Land, is a graphic novel that uses J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan as an intertext to convey the feeling of loss when emerging into adulthood. The project targets contemporary adults-to-be and wishes to accompany people undergoing a quarter-life crisis. The story begins with Peter following his runaway shadow and entering a world called Neverland. There, Peter overcomes challenges on his way to returning to the real world while unconsciously finding himself maturing to his definition of an adult.”

Can you tell us a bit about your journey to your course and what made you choose it?

“I studied English language and literature for my BA degree, and I was extremely fond of different forms of storytelling like script writing and theatre performance. It was til I started working as an event planner for artists that I started thinking about pursuing another degree by combining my profession in language with my hobby of drawing.

“Aiming to improve my knowledge of how text and image interplay, I chose to study at the University of Brighton Sequential Design/Illustration MA because the course not only focuses on sequential storytelling but also embraces diversity in various media, such as picture books for children, graphic novels, and animation, which are the fields I wish to develop.”

What were the highlights of the course for you?

“In this course, you don’t wait for someone to give you a schedule, the facilities are all there for you, and you get to plan the best working timetable or techniques you need for your project. I really enjoy using letterpress and book art workshops. By bringing my plan to the technicians, they are always there to sort out any technical problems and even provided me with better ways of making it. Moreover, it was a fantastic experience to use cyanotypes at the photography service, which created beautiful collage materials for my short project experiment.”

Was the location of your course in Brighton important?

“Public security is always my top concern as an international student, so I chose Brighton mainly for this reason. Moreover, it is easy to travel to Londen via train, which is very convenient for visiting events and galleries there.”

What are your plans after graduation? What’s next for you?

“I plan to continue completing Never Never Land and contacting publishers to publish. I am also considering creating a website based on the Never Never Land story, but this time letting the readers decide their own sequence of reading this work by clicking the landmarks they want to explore.”

What advice would you give to someone considering doing postgraduate study?

“Be open-minded in absorbing new ways of making and be active in interacting with classmates, tutors, and visiting artists because they all come from different backgrounds and will provide new inspirations.”

Follow Mandy on Instagram: @mandy.illust

Website: https://mandyillust.myportfolio.com/

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