This project is a work-in-progress graphic novel composed of digitally assembled watercolor images paired with a narrative. It tells a fictional story inspired by a historically stereotyped group: Southern Italian women, often labeled “terronas.” In the graphic novel, the terronas undergo a transformation: initially marginalized and associated with labor-intensive rural roles—as they were in the past and, to some extents, still are—I imagine how their deep connection to land, nature, and community becomes a source of resilience, strength, and renewal.
The narrative traces their journey from constrained, stereotypical roles to empowered “post-terronas” who reclaim their cultural identity and collective agency. Drawing on ancestral knowledge and a profound bond with the territory, these post-terronas contribute meaningfully to global conversations around environmental preservation, community-building, and the creation of joyful, fulfilling lifestyles.
This project aspires to serve as a healing artifact—a narrative that blends painting and imagination to promote well-being and inspire activism. By offering visual and narrative depictions of transformation, it invites viewers to see themselves as agents of positive change through renewed relationships with both human and more-than-human worlds.
