THE KEY TO EGYPT
A longstanding romance with the myth and lore of Ancient Egypt and a desire to spread a message of love in a time of intense polarisation was the impetus for this solo project. My working title was ‘The Ennead’, which references the principle gods of Heliopolis. The idea was simple: tell the creation story at the heart of Egyptian mythology. However in reality, it was not so simple. There are so many fragmentary and interweaving accounts, and not one dominant narrative.
I had to try to keep the story relatively short in keeping with the 32 page format of a picture book. I focused on the gods as metaphors for nature, the elements, the movements of forces. I told a fantastical story with a focus on visual impact and playful poetic form.
I decided to be playful with the character design, rather than copying the standard depictions of the gods. I wanted a simple illustration style to contrast with the complexity of the themes being presented.