Peony Gent: Doorways

‘Doorways’ by Peony Gent is an A5 narrative zine, illustrated with a combination of photographs, drawings, pattern work and mark making.

The story explores themes of memory, ritual, repetition and meaning, and the zine itself is printed in black and white on thick matte paper stock. 

I loved the striking imagery of doorways- the black and white reminiscent of the theme of memory and giving the narration a mysterious and haunting tone.

Gent uses repetitions of lines as well as implied photographic motifs to adhere to the words she writes as well as the ‘ritual’ she enacting in book form.  

I loved in particular the delicately etched markings layered on top of the photographs to contrast the harsh blackness of the images themselves, that purposely are hard for the eye to depict.

That’s where the story on the left hand page comes in, written in small, sparse lines are enriched poetic prose, taking the reader on a journey alongside the visual stimulus. 

I found Gent’s zine to be very impactful in an emotional sense, with a strong theme and impactful, yet ambiguous words, and unusually fascinating markings and images to culminate in a deeply mysterious narrative tinged with a sense of desperation.