Rhea Pradeep

Chronos | Kairos: Exploring Time Through Experimental Comics and Artist’s Books

I am a visual storyteller who loves to work with books. I value research in my artwork which I translate into a narrative that emerges as a comic book or an artist’s book. As my practice heavily relies on experimentation, I have been interested in merging the two mediums. My thesis examines how the reading experience of comics changes when they are presented in various artist’s book formats, particularly through the lens of time and space. This project encourages the practice of close reading, arguing that the physical form of a book is not only a container for the content, but also plays a part in its meaning-making. The structure shifts the narrative pace, perception of time and reader engagement. Her research is embodied in five artist’s books, each testing a different form and its impact on sequence, navigation, and time taken to interact with it. The findings demonstrate that artist’s book formats can significantly alter the reading experience of comics: some forms encourage rapidly flipping through the book, while others slow the reader down and require close, embodied engagement. This thesis contributes to broader conversations around slow reading, comic forms, and experimental narrative, encouraging readers to expand the time it takes to read a physical book and welcome the unpredictability of experimentation.  

Rhea inking a hand-drawn comic page using traditional ink on paper. Rhea is inking over her initial sketch and is focusing on the final linework. She is using Sumi ink and a dip pen on Bristol paper.

A series of hand-drawn comic pages on Bristol arranged in overlapping layers. A look into the working process of making comics rather than the final pages.

The image shows Rhea creating a mockup for her concertina fold artist's book. She uses chipboard and masking tape to make the rough structure. 

Creatures Wiped Out By Time

The image shows two dinosaur fossils being looked at by several viewers at the museum. This illustration was created using Procreate.