“During the isolation period in 2020, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my transness,” says Aki. “It made me feel an urgency to put out words that I wanted to hear.” said by Aki
As the world of comics evolves, so too do the artists behind them. There's no better example than Aki Hassan, a Singapore-based multidisciplinary artist who creates beautiful and delicately-drawn comics that widen the scope of LGBTQIA+ representation in the comic book medium. Whilst adept in drawing, printed matter, sculpture, and installation, Aki tells us they’re yet to find anything else that has enabled them “to think about structures, relational dynamics and resistance in the way that comics do.” Sitting down to talk with Aki is a treat, to say the least, as they’re full of interesting wisdom that mirrors the intricacy of their visual work. “I draw to reflect on cisnormativity as this bodily experience that I confront as a nonbinary person,” they tell It’s Nice That. “There is a strictness in my expression and consciousness, especially when I am performing as or for cis(gender).” In doing so, Aki is always paying attention to the ways their body orientates, “the way it falls into corners, edges and flat surfaces” to shape their drawings and forms.
