{"id":150871,"date":"2021-09-09T15:25:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T04:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/?p=150871"},"modified":"2021-09-20T18:22:38","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T07:22:38","slug":"read-a-qa-with-christine-yahya-the-illustrator-behind-pink-bits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2021\/09\/09\/read-a-qa-with-christine-yahya-the-illustrator-behind-pink-bits\/","title":{"rendered":"Read a Q&A with Christine Yahya, the illustrator behind Pink Bits!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Christine<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Christine Yahya is an Armenian-Australian graphic designer and illustrator based in NSW. She started illustrating Pink Bits in 2016. Christine is inspired by and celebrates people and bodies in all their glory, illustrating the bits and shapes we’re told to hide, and she has just released Pink Bits in puzzle form for the first time: Pink Bits on Body Inclusivity<\/a><\/strong>!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Christine is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about the puzzle, Pink Bits and the illustration world. Read on …<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Christine<\/a>

Christine Yahya (Photo by Risako Katsumata).<\/p><\/div>\n

Please tell us about your puzzle, Pink Bits on Body Inclusivity<\/em>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

CY:<\/strong> I wanted to create a puzzle that captured the joy and vibrancy of body \/ fat positive communities. This community changed my life and they\u2019re truly such powerful spaces. Though, they\u2019re often discovered or experienced solely online, or in the confines of our own homes.<\/p>\n

This puzzle imagines what these communities might look like in a safe, accessible, outdoor parkland.<\/p>\n\n\n

What does body inclusivity mean to you and why is it so important?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CY: <\/strong>It is so important, and simply means for all bodies to be treated with acceptance, respect, and equality. This issue must be viewed intersectionally, including but not limited to race, sexuality, gender, class, disability and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our media and beyond, we can see a lack of representation for a vast variety of bodies and bodily experiences, often favouring those who fall within strict beauty standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These standards which are shown to us over and over can spark feelings of shame and inadequacy, but also reinforce society\u2019s view of what is an acceptable body and what is not. Thereby inadvertently teaching society to treat others based on their bodies, and teaching who is desirable, who is worthy, who is ok to exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenging these views and creating a more inclusive and representative world is so important, as our bodies deserve respect and equality, not just those who fall into beauty standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us a little bit about the actual process of making a puzzle? Where did you get your inspiration from?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CY:<\/strong> My projects always start with a big mind map and a concepting session! In this case I asked myself, \u2018What would a body-inclusive space look like in real life?\u2019 And began to dream of a parkland, where movement is free, bodily autonomy is respected, the air is fresh and you can feel the sun on your skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, I brainstormed all the elements I could dream of, including what I wanted the artwork to feel like for the puzzle-maker. This informed the vibrant yet comforting colour palette – radiating mid pinks, warm mustards and leafy greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This also informed elements like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n