Love thy self

Kanchan Burathoki felt massive pain and grief when her mother passed away, wishing especially that she had taken better care of her during her cancer treatment.

“I had to learn to be kinder to myself in order to let go,” she says.

Burathoki’s piece ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out,’ in the first issue of a new comic anthology deals with the loss of her mother and the journey she took to stop blaming herself for things beyond her control.

Burathoki is one of eight artists in the first issue of the Virangana Comics series titled Self Love. To her, self love is essential in a time of healing. She portrays this in her piece through simple illustrations, using a limited palette — muted yellow, beige and burgundy — and scattered text revealing inner thoughts.

Self Love, released by FinePrint in October, uses comics-style illustrations to talk about a variety of topics, from masturbation to dealing with the loss of a loved one. 

The cover is pink, powerful and embedded with text. A woman with a cart shopping in the Self Love aisle of a store in front of shelves stocked with ‘Power Dust!’, ‘Anti Anxiety Antiseptic Liquid’ and ‘You Can Do It Buttery Biscuits’ is representative of what’s inside. 

The anthology depicts how we navigate modern patriarchy, overcoming anxiety, dealing with loss, finding yourself and, at its core, learning how to love yourself. 

 

One of the most striking pieces in the comic belongs to Shraddha Shrestha, whose entry, ‘The Permission Game’, rings true for many Nepali females seeking independence but limited by strictures of conventional society.

Shrestha’s illustrated persona, decorated in bold black lines and bright colours, navigates the trials and tribulations of living in Patan, where the judgemental eyes of family and neighbours critique her every move, even at age 31. To her, ‘self love is getting to do what you want to and experiencing things on your own terms.’ 

Read Also: 

Moving Images, Nepali Times

Caught Reading, Salil Subedi

Other contributors include Bandhana Tulachan, who accepts that it is okay to feel and to heal, Ujala Shrestha, who navigates life with her anxiety baggage and Rashmi Lamichhane, talking about ‘getting to today.’

Each woman expresses her deepest emotions and inner thoughts in distinct artistic and visual styles. For each of them self love has a different meaning, but its importance is paramount to all.

Self Love

Virangana Comics Anthology Issue 1

FinePrint Books, Nepal

Price: NRs600

ISBN: 978-9937-665-75-9

Find the comic here.