This project is a visual narrative about Palm oil. Palm oil plantations contribute to environmental degradation, including four percent of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the largest driver of Indonesian deforestation. Palm oil can be found in a variety of everyday products. In this comic, I created an accordion book that can either be read as single spreads or as an entire narrative image depicting the destruction of rainforests for palm oil plantations to the harmful effects of palm oil. The main character is inspired by the Balinese Mythology and the spirit, Bhoma. Bhoma is the son of Dewa Wisnu and Dewi Pertiwi, the god of rain and the goddess of the earth. Bhoma is known as the guardian spirit of the rainforest and symbolizes growth and vegetation. I wanted to explore how a nature spirit would react to modern day issues of deforestation. In the comic, I include the character of the traditional fat capitalist being the catalyst for the destruction of the forest as the increasing demand for palm oil products drives the lucrative business of running a palm oil plantation.
I wanted to create a very small palm sized book as the viewer has to hold it close to understand it, and the message becomes more personal in that way. I also liked how such a small book is so easy to carry and read as many products of Palm Oil are created to be convenient.
On the cover, I wanted to depict Bhoma as a powerful being paired with vegetation. I wanted the back cover to convey the artificiality of his image and the destruction.
Here is a few images of my first draft.
