Eggsistence
By: Kati Bodi
Publisher: Weeskinders, Hungary, 2026
Format: Leporello, top-down
"Time is a stone egg that rolls down the stairs"
Time is, in many ways, an abstract concept that can be hard to grasp. Even though our short, human lives passes linearly, we will, during that life, sometimes percieve time as being painfully slow, and at other times as being way too fast. Portraying time might seem like an impossible task, but with Eggsistence, the hungarian author Kati Bodi has done just that, in one of the most impressive and original silent books that are currently on the market.
Leporellos are quite common in the world of silent book. No wonder, as the fluidity of the format mirrors the experience of reading a silent book, which is rarely done by opening the first page and just leafing through to the last. As a main rule, a successful leporello should offer the possibility to be read both by leafing through two pages at at time (like a "normal" book), and by stretching the full lenght of the pages to literally exand the reading experience. Bodi has done this so successfully that not only the full length of the book, but also each individual spread reads like a work of art.
Bodi's beautiful, detailed illustrations opens for a wide range of interpretations. The leporello has two stories, one on each side of the book, but the two storylines are closely interwtined. The first story might be read as the creation of time itself, the other as how time affects our human lives. But Eggsistence might also be read as a book where time is the true protagonist and the humans simply extras in its grand show.
Bodi uses a variety of techniques: Watercolors, inks, chalks and colored pencils. Her palette of blues, purples, pinks and yellows are beautiful and delicate, making the whiteness of the egg look luminescent in contrast. The fluidity of the aquarelle backgrounds works wonderfully in combination with her meticulously detailed characters, trees and flowers. The side of the aquarelle that deals with the making of time is philosophical and poetic. Turn the leporello, and you see our human lives portrayed with both love, respect and humour: The struggles, the joys, the accidents, the drama, the beauty...and the ending.
Even in the world of silent books, where there are so many unique publications, Eggsistence stands out as an extraordinary work of art. The publisher, Weeskinders, has gone all-in: The choice of both size, format and paper quality is perfect, and the leporello is presented in a fold-out cardboard box that offers both protection and beauty. Bravo!
