Bishakh Som, photo courtesy of the artist.
Breaking boundaries — mid-residency revelations in visual storytelling.
Join us for a mid-residency gathering that delves deeper into the creative evolution of our Comics & Graphic Novels artists. Chapter 2 showcases new developments and discoveries as residents test, tinker, and take bold narrative risks in the graphic narrative form. With informal readings, in-progress page reveals, and behind-the-scenes commentary, this evening offers a rare glimpse into the breakthroughs unfolding in the studio.
Hosted by Bishakh Som – Indian-American trans femme visual artist and author whose graphic novel Apsara Engine won the 2020 L.A. Times Book Prize for Best Graphic Novel and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Comics. Her graphic memoir Spellbound was also a Lambda finalist. Som’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Autostraddle, The Boston Review, and more. She will guide the evening, read from her own work, and share the stage with the residency’s artists.
Enjoy a drink from the bar, browse a curated selection of books at Pages Books, and immerse yourself in the vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. Stay after and mingle with artists and faculty until 9:30 p.m.
Related People
Bishakh Som
Bishakh is an Indian-American trans femme visual artist and author. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Autostraddle, The Strumpet, The Boston Review, The Georgia Review, Black Warrior Review and The Brooklyn Rail, amongst other publications. Her graphic novel Apsara Engine (The Feminist Press) is the winner of a 2020 L.A. Times Book Prize for Best Graphic Novel and a 2021 Lambda Literary Award winner for Best LGBTQ Comics. Her graphic memoir Spellbound (Street Noise Books) was also a 2021 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Bishakh has illustrated two books about architecture: The Prefab Bathroom: An Architectural History, (McFarland Press) and Cocktails and Conversations: Dialogues on Architectural Design (AIA New York). Bishakh’s artwork was featured in solo shows at ArtLexis Gallery and at Jaya Yoga Center and in group shows at The Society of Illustrators in New York, the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College, Issyra Gallery, the Grady Alexis Gallery, De Cacaofabriek in the Netherlands and most recently at Art Omi in Ghent, NY. You can see her work at www.bishakh.com.
Photo credit: Shirya Samavai