Izz Bachtiar

An adaptation of the historical 'Epic of Gilgamesh' based from the BBC podcast 'In Our Time', this version is retold from the point-of-view of the demigod Gilgamesh himself. Adapting this tale from Gilgamesh’s perspective is an opportunity to tap into the story’s less represented emotional side and get the reader to relate to this larger than life character.

I sought to put as much expression as I could in the brushstrokes, changing it to suit the emotions that Gilgamesh was going through. Using watercolours and Indian ink to represent the theme of water that is present throughout the tale, some pieces used the medium as blood to show off Gilgamesh’s rage yet others use it delicately to show his eventual redemption. The typography was a big aspect of it as well, creating personal thoughts that vary in expression through the strokes and layout of the text.