BOOKS/ILLUSTRATION
TRANSCENDENT
This book discusses my personal journey and experiences with gender and sexuality, as someone who has lived on both sides of the gender binary and now chooses to identify with neither. It is inspired by the poetic styles of Ocean Vuong and Audre Lorde’s “biomythography” genre.
Multimedia project: digital print, includes linocut, letterpress, and hand-stitched bookbinding
AMAR ROKTAKTO BANGLA
“Amar Roktakto Bangla,” or My Bloody Bangla, is a book that critiques Bangladesh’s political history. It is a country that originates in revolution through violent action, and was subject to a military uprising in 2024 after student protests which caused the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to flee the country.
The book puts Bangladesh’s origin in the limelight and decentralizes Western viewpoints about the country.
Multimedia project: Photo editing, digital collage/print, letterpress
POHELA BOISHAKH
Digital media project: Clip Studio Paint Pro, Adobe After Effects
Assignment for Hand Letters class to make a gif for any holiday. “Pohela Boishakh,” or Bengali New Year, falls on a different day every year but usually in the month of April. I wanted to experiment with Bengali calligraphy and how the letters can overlap and form within one another.
DREAMER
Illustrated/carved rubber stamp; edition of 24 prints
Assignment for Hand Letters class to letter a phrase or lyric into a silhouette. I framed lyrics from TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s “Dreamer” into a star shape, taking advantaged of the rough look of a carved stamp to resemble the group/album’s sketchy, messy aesthetic.
CHAI
Digital illustration: Clip Studio Paint Pro
Assignment for Hand Letters class to make a word from objects. The word “chai” features a warm mug of chai along with various traditional South Asian sweets that pair with chai; biscuits, jalebi, sondesh, and soan papdi.
CONTACT ME
EMAIL: kalenakash@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM: @kalenakash