INTERVIEW
Comatose, by Joanna Blémont
Between dreams and reality
Illustrator and artist, Joanna Blémont, has created a limited edition riso printed zine, made possible with support from Creative Scotland and the The City of Edinburgh Council.
Joanna is part of our 2024 Future Makers cohort, and as we come to the end the current programme it's a pleasure to speak with her about Comatose, and round up what has been a wonderful year getting to know her and working together at Grand Matter.
What does it look like when the lines between dreams and reality blur? That's where it all started, and the result is a experimental zine full of hand crafted artworks that tell a subtle narrative, artfully riso printed by the team at Out of the Blueprint in Edinburgh.
Joanna tells us more about the experience, taking the time to experiment and explore, and the evolution of Comatose.
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What drew me to a zine was how much freedom there is—there are no rules, it can be a small book of imagery, text or used to present a narrative. This openness helped me find new avenues within my practice.
– Joanna Blémont
Why did you choose to explore creating a zine?
What drew me to the creation of a zine was how much freedom there is in it. A zine can be a small book of imagery, text or present a narrative. This openness helped me find new avenues within my practice. All I knew before I started the project was that I wanted the zine to explore liminal spaces within the realm of dreams.
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What was your starting point?
Marie Darrieussecq’s book of essays, Sleepless, sparked my interest in the blurred boundary between sleep and wakefulness and how that liminal state might be expressed visually.
I began by compiling a list of evocative words and imagined spaces or conditions that could embody this in-between realm—places like caves or tree hollows. While my previous work had touched on similar themes, I found myself repeating the same environments and perspectives. Challenging myself to look beyond those habits led to a more exploratory and creatively rewarding process.
"
I began by compiling a list of evocative words and imagined spaces or conditions that could embody this in-between realm—places like caves or tree hollows.
– Joanna Blémont
Tell us about your creative process
Along with my list of words, I revisited my own camera roll and began collecting images. This led me into a period of open drawing, where I experimented with mark-making, returned to using pencil, and explored new watercolour washes.
It was challenging to come out of my comfort zone, there were daunting initial failures and healthy discomfort. From there, I made a selection of drawings and started exploring book-making, focusing on how images could interact across pages and guide the reader through a visual journey.
Did the collaboration with Creative Scotland inform your approach in any way?
Funding from Creative Scotland allowed me to slow down and focus on process rather than outcome. It gave me the freedom to experiment with coloured pencils—something I’d avoided in commissioned work due to time constraints—which led to more detailed, expressive drawings.
The project refreshed my practice, sparked new directions, and added depth to my commissioned pieces.
Has it changed the way you think of your work going forward in any way, what's next for you?
The project helped me loosen my approach to making work. I experienced the value of drawing without a fixed outcome in mind, which was freeing. It’s a reminder that when I’m in a creative slump, returning to that open, exploratory mindset is key.
At the moment, I’m working through a creative block by returning to the basics—sketchbook work and free drawing. I’m also beginning to explore a second edition of the zine, which I hope to develop and self-publish over the summer. Alongside that, I’ve started developing a longer-form animation project, which I’m looking forward to revisiting once I feel more creatively recharged.
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Get aquainted with the full zine via Joanna's website, or for those based in Scotland, Comatose is can be found at the Glasgow Zine Library.
About Joanna Blémont
Joanna creates distinctive watercolour illustrations with a dream-like quality, exploring scenes and spaces as sequential imprints. Working with a range of outputs from editorial to branding and music, her clients including The New Yorker, De Correspondent, LUSH, Stéréolux and Lumière Noire Records to name a few.
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