Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

In a world where images are a prominent part of our daily lives and a way of absorbing information, the analysis of representation of migration narratives is vital. This thesis raises questions concerning the power of illustrations, drawings, and visual culture in order to represent the migration narratives in the age of Instagram. The rise of graphic novels and comics has come about in the last fifteen years, specifically regarding contemporary authors engaging with complex social issues such as migration and refugeehood. Due to this, refugee subjects are often in these narratives, whether they are autobiographical stories or whether the subject is included in the creative process. Growth in discourse around migration has been present in other art forms; in 2018, there has been dedicated exhibitions around migration such as Tania Bruguera at the TATE (2018-2019), ‘Journeys Drawn’ at the House of Illustration (2018-2019) and dedicated film festivals (2018; the Migration Film Festival), which have shown the recent considerations of using the arts as a medium of expression regarding themes of refugeehood and migration. Graphic visuals are fast becoming a key instrument when representing migration and the central thesis of this paper is to show the strength and limitations of this form as well the methodology used by the actors in the production process. Using primary data by doing one on one interviews with artists, curators and NGOs, this paper investigates the efficiency of graphic novels for depicting refugee stories as a viable alternative to other mass medium forms.