Leaf
By: Daishu Ma
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, USA, 2015
Format: Hardback
A golden glimmer of hope
The book cover of Leaf might the most beautiful book cover we have ever seen here at Readsilentbooks: A textured cardboard binding with a leaf-shaped cut-out revealing the the book title and author name. The cover is decorated with pencil illustrations of grey, drying leaves, the yellow color shining through them like rays of sunshine, bursting with life. The cover is not only gorgeous, it also perfectly sums up the essence of the book - no matter how grey the surroundings, life and hope will always have the power to shine through.
In an interview with Singapore Comix, illustrator Daishu Ma shares that she found her inspiration for Leaf when travelling in Nepal, watching the beautiful nature and culture being on the brink of a brutal industrialisation. She wanted to explore what these changes might mean for people's lives. The story starts when the protagonist, a young man, finds a glowing leaf. He sets off on a quest for answers, a quest where he stumbles upon a woman who studies obsolete flora, a man who guides him to the city secrets, and to memories of other worlds and better times.
Leaf is set in a mildly dystopian world. This is not Brave new world or 1984, there are no uniforms or general surveillance, nor are the inhabitants portrayed as your typical dystopian "gray masses". Ma draws individuals - there are people of all ages, their personalities shown through their postures and choice of clothing. But the individuals all live in a world that seem to be disconnected from nature, and many spend their days working like cogs in a machine, stuck in giant factory-like workplaces. The only source of light seems to be blue lightbulbs, giving an cold, industrial sheen to the surroundings. The light occasionally also brings wonder, like in one of the stunning full spreads of the book where we see a gathering of people enjoying the beauty of a glowing tree - but this is a short-lived wonder, suddenly cut off by a janitor flicking the light switch. The message seems clear: Yes, this world also contains beauty, but it is an artificial beauty that is controlled by some, as a contrast to the beauty of nature that may be enjoyed by all.
Ma draws in pencil, punctuated by spot colors of blue and yellow. The delicate, but realistic illustrations, together with the dream-like state the book envokes in the reader, are reminiscent of Shaun Tan's artwork in The arrival, while her talent for showcasing each character as an individual brings associations to Issa Watanabe's Migrants. Ma's illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful, showing not only complete mastery of the effects of lights and color, but also an amazing sensitivity for portraying people. She makes the reader fall in love with the characters- the protagonist, the leaf-studying young woman, the old man... all portrayed in such a way that their personalities shines through the page, making the reader truly care about what will happen to them. There are hundreds of illustrations in the 95 pages of this book, all equally detailed - the amount of work this book must have required is mindblowing.
Telling a story this complex, without the use of words, require a deep understanding for what makes a silent book work. Ma shows great trust in her readers, leaving plenty of room for different interpretations, and for the reader to "fill in the blanks" with their own experiences. The mixture of different size panels, full spreads and cartoon-like pages with lots of illustration, gently guides the reader through the story from start to end.
If you are hoping for a action movie-style ending where our protagonist jumps in and saves the world , you will be disappointed.The ending is, like the rest of the story, a subtle suggestion to be pondered upon. It is filled with symbolism and also works as an elegant connection to the start of the story:
The book starts and ends with birds. The first pages show birds leaving their nests and flying away. In the very last picture one of them has returned. It sits under a branch that is no longer bare, but starting to sprout, looking the reader straight in the eye. In folklore, birds symbolize change, freedom and rebirth. Birds leaving is often interpreted as a bad sign (which is not just folklore, but also common sense, as birds detect atmospheric changes and therefore tend to leave early before threatening events like natural disasters). Birds returning is a strong symbol of hope: Maybe it is possible to find ways to stay connected to nature and each other, even in our industrialized world.
Turns out that sometimes you can judge a book by it's cover. Leaf is a breathtaking work of art that will linger in your soul long after you finish reading.
Daishu Ma is born in China. In addition to Leaf, she has illustrated other authors works, and has made several wonderful children's books.
