Of shapes and sounds : identity and Algerian memory in Nawel Louerrad's graphic novels

Algerian graphic novelist Nawel Louerrad always probes questions of identity and memory in her texts. In Les Vêpres algériennes (2012) and Bach to Black (2013), she argues for an understanding of these concepts as multiple and fluid, thus countering memorial discourses by advocating instead for spac...

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Vydané v:Journal of graphic novels & comics Ročník 13; číslo 3; s. 394 - 407
Hlavný autor: Rousseau, Sandra
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:English
Vydavateľské údaje: Abingdon Routledge 04.05.2022
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Predmet:
21st century
absurd
Algeria
Graphic novels
Identity
Louerrad, Nawel
Memory
Postcolonialism
Semiotics
Sound
sounds
Algeria
ISSN:2150-4857, 2150-4865
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Shrnutí:Algerian graphic novelist Nawel Louerrad always probes questions of identity and memory in her texts. In Les Vêpres algériennes (2012) and Bach to Black (2013), she argues for an understanding of these concepts as multiple and fluid, thus countering memorial discourses by advocating instead for spaces where individuals can be constructed and deconstructed at will. This paper analyzes how Louerrad's aesthetic and thematic treatment of shapes and sounds clears a path for original representations of identity formation. In giving the narrator a multitude of shapes, the artist hints at the internal conflicts present within each body and generates a graphically striking visual heteroglossia. Similarly, Louerrad's obsession with sounds and music destabilises meaning by fragmenting semiotic systems at play within her bandes dessinées. Algerian graphic novelists and mangakas are both opening and broadening the space for their media in the rapidly evolving field and market of the ninth art. Often, however, their productions still allude to Algeria's colonial past as a lingering trauma. Not unlike her peers, Louerrad is very careful to maintain the fictional dimension of her art, dismissing western expectations that postcolonial subjects be overtly political. The absurd turn of her plots ensures that her metaphysical quests, while also political, remain above all artistic endeavours.
Bibliografia:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:2150-4857
2150-4865
DOI:10.1080/21504857.2021.1930565