How to "Dispose" a Baby - Illustration

This is an illustration project that aims to challenge the stigmas surrounding the sensitive topic of abortion with a satirical approach.

As a female, matters regarding reproductivity and help raises a lot of concern for me. The idea for this project came as a stroke for me while I was watching the critically acclaimed Netflix show Bojack Horseman (Season 3, Episode 6: Brrap Brrap Pew Pew). In this episode, Sextina Aquafina (the young pop star)’s assistant accidentally posted a Tweet revealing the decision of having an abortion on her account. Although initially angry, Sextina received praise on social media for her being brave and was lauded for being a feminist. As a response, she decides to release a song titled "Get Dat Fetus, Kill Dat Fetus," which sparks two opposing opinions: pro-choice and pro-life. 

Now of course, in real life, these 2 currents of opinion are a never ending battle. According to Piper (2022), the Pro-choice defendants believe that every woman should be endowed with the right to her own life and body. Therefore, by this definition, denying a woman an abortion is denying her the right to bodily autonomy (or the right to privacy, depending on the argument presented) (Piper, 2022). On the other hand, the Pro-Life defendants claims that all human life is created equal regardless of size, level of development, education, and degree of dependency. Consequently, by this definition, taking the life of a pre born baby is a violation of the fundamental right to life (Piper, 2022).

Abortion still remains a sensitive topic in many countries, and most artistic products featuring Abortion tend to have soft and conventional aesthetic, and give out a serious tone of voice, which as a result lead to a general fear of abortion. My aim is to destigmatize the experience of Abortion by treating it as a “joke”. Humour will make everything less scary and this is a topic that requires this destigmatization. 

This project includes different illustrated methods of “Disposing a baby”, with detailed instructions along with consequences and “side effects” for negative abortion methods.

These negative methods are taken inspiration from real-life cases of fetus disposal. For example, in the submitted spread, the method is named “The Dumpster”, reflecting the situation in India in March 2022 - Half a dozen fetuses found in roadside garbage. As seen in the illustration, if you follow this “method”, something bad will happen.

With this book, I want to present a statement that Abortion is not wrong, but if you do it the wrong way, there will be consequences. This project is follows the aesthetic of a comic, but mixed with a touch of Graphic Design. Since I am originally a graphic designer, I tried to experiment with illustration without losing my background. The project is a WIP and will be developed in collaborations with other artists, illustrator, designers and creators in the near future. If you want to collaborate and discuss more regarding this matter, feel free to contact me.