Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Benjamin Brobst-Renaud

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Photography, Comic Illustration

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-24-2025

Abstract

Inspired by story telling and my interests in multiple different art mediums, I decided upon a creative project utilizing both photography and comic/graphic novels to act as a memoir and documentary of my semester abroad in Japan. While I was there I spent time studying the concept of the “Medium is the Message” and through this project I continued to explore what that really looked like. I took photos and kept a diary while in Japan. Upon coming back, I started the comic book process of storyboarding, making a script, drawing/coloring, and finally editing. Simultaneously I organized my photos and curated a selection of ones to present and then hung them in the exhibit. The comic acts as a more personal and direct commentary of my experience while the photos work to bring them to places I traveled and provoke the feeling of what life was like. My purpose with this project was to make two separate bodies of work to compliment each other when presented together as one as well as encouraging others to do things like study abroad and share their story. Hopefully with this project I can further encourage more interdisciplinary dialogue.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Sami (Samantha) Jefferson is a senior Digital Media Arts major with an individualized minor in Japanese Culture. Born in Chicago with a passion for illustrations and a love for anything art related. She lives in her own world where the stories are infinite and push her creativity above and beyond. Sami is always in search of new sources of inspiration.

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