Silvia Razakova
Pomegranate Flowers traces the lives of three generations of Crimean Tatar women — from Soviet exile to modern war. Through the lens of the author’s grandmother, mother, and self, it explores memory, displacement, multiculturalism, womanhood, and the quiet rituals of everyday life.
This 2-colour risograph comic will be available at La Belle Adventure and in the Onion shop following the launch.
Pomegranate Flowers is a very personal portrayal of 3 generations of women in your family. How did you balance reflecting on your family history and relationships, with the practical aspect of making a comic?
I didn’t. It was absolutely devastating. But in the most cathartic way. I quickly realised this wasn’t like writing my ideas and reflections in a diary. To let the story speak for itself, I had to collect the moments that felt most meaningful, and trust the reader to connect the dots. It was an interesting exercise to try to imagine how my mother and grandmother felt at different ages, in different places, and through different points in history. In the process, I came to understand (or at least feel I did) a lot more about their womanhood, fears, doubts, and personalities.
Have you shared the comic with your mum? How have you balanced truth with the responsibility of protecting your family's privacy?
I haven’t shared it with her yet, but she knows it’s coming. She’s been very supportive, even though our views and attitudes — especially around things like mental health — can be quite different. I do worry about the moment she reads it, and I hope she’ll understand the intention behind it.
When telling our story, I tried to be as respectful as possible. At times the truth is very intimate, I won’t deny that, but these moments also sit within a much bigger geographical and historical story, which is the main focus. And in terms of privacy, nothing I’ve said about us would really come as a surprise to those who know us!
How did you start making comics?
I’ve always journalled and written about the things I find interesting around me. I’ve also always loved drawing, so the two naturally merged as I grew up. It’s how I process difficult things, but also how I celebrate what I love in my life.
How do you approach storytelling in comic form?
Writing a full story in comic form was new to me. I’ve written short stories and created single illustrations before — but this was an entirely different realm. Combining fewer words and micro-expressions (who knew two dots for eyes could say so much?) is not the same as simply articulating a feeling.
I’m very drawn to animation and videogame design for similar reasons to my love for comics. I think our ways of conveying stories and emotions are becoming more comprehensive and complex, and it is wonderful to witness, in our culture, our collective emotional/creative growth. What fascinates me is how different media have layers and factors that intersect and influence each other, and so the way we interact with them creates different responses and effects.
Tell us a bit about the process of making Pomegranate Flowers? (ideas, sketching, drafts, the medium, analogue/digital)
The ideas part was easy. I could talk about my family for days on end. A casual conversation with my mother will trigger a million thoughts that need unpacking.
In terms of production, I learned so much through this process. Sarah and Maria were essential, especially as I was new to it. My first draft was almost all text because I was used to focusing on my insights. They encouraged me to draw without thinking of the text, which at the time sounded completely backwards to me. But the more I drew, the more I gained confidence, and I realised I was able to pour the story into the lines and not just the words.
I ended up getting a tablet with the prize — something I’d always wanted to do, but didn’t realise I’d have to learn everything from scratch. It became a process of putting in hours and hours of practice. I’d reach page 20, see how much I’d improved, then go back and redraw the first pages because the difference was too obvious. Alongside that, all of Sarah and Maria’s feedback was always on point and quickly improved my work. I couldn’t have done it without their mentorship.
What comic artists/illustrators are you inspired by?
Marjane Satrapi was my first, and probably most impactful, encounter with a comic artist who wasn’t working in a superhero or cartoon tradition. Later on, artists like Lizzy Stewart, Eleanor Davis and Lisa Hanawalt really resonated with me for the originality of both their visual styles and their voice. Joe Sacco and Zerocalcare are phenomenal authors who make political themes more accessible and show how much can be achieved with a medium that was often seen as primarily for entertainment.
What do you listen to when you are working?
I really struggle with silence. I need all of my movements (my days, and even whole months) to be marked by a specific rhythm. During the writing and early development stage, I listened to a lot of instrumental or old school music (maybe to get into the mood of a road trip with my mum?). During the more technical phase I had so much fun — I had long solo sessions of random miscellaneous music (from cumbia to jazz and everything in between). I made a space for myself that was incredibly self indulgent and I am grateful to have this possibility.
What's next for you? (do you plan to make more comics?)
I hope I never stop making comics. For whatever goal or audience, on whatever platform. Nothing gives me more joy than this.
About Silvia
Silvia Razakova is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Edinburgh. She uses humour and visual storytelling to explore relationships, cultural complexity, grief, and the mess of inherited emotion — especially through the lens of womanhood and migration. Her multicultural background shapes and permeates everything in her work. “I want to paint portraits out of everything I can reach: my love of people-watching has filtered through every level and every layer.”
See more of Silvia’s work here.