What would life feel like without fear and oppression? Is it possible to find solace in the power of chosen family, underground art collectives, and ultimately revolution? Joseph Kai‘s debut graphic novel Restless has been called “an absolutely stunning meditation on the anxieties of queer sex and of political revolution” and we have an exclusive excerpt.
It’s 30 years after the end of the civil war in Beirut, Lebanon, and a few months before the disastrous explosion of August 2020. Samar, a young queer comic book artist, wanders between anguished dreams, childhood memories, sexual experiences, and Beirut’s alternative communities. This abstractly autobiographical story tells of the author’s anxiety over living in a complex city of changing colors and moods. Three powerful themes: art, sex, and political uprising, are interwoven in a compelling narrative and an otherwordly color palette.
Kai is a queer artist from Beirut, Lebanon. He has published several works with the Lebanese collective of BD Samandal Comics. Joseph has participated in numerous festivals and exhibitions in Beirut, Lebanon; Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and both Angouleme and Paris, France. He is currently living and working in Paris. Restless is his debut graphic novel.
Out now, check out an exclusive preview of Restless below and see him on tour.
Source: Graphic Policy
