Eunjoo Lee challenges the idea of utopia in her illustrated zine

UK-based Eunjoo Lee has created Fantasy Consumer an illustrated zine that tells the story of a girl who takes sleeping pills, which she thinks will help her to reach her own utopia in her dreams. “In Utopia and Anti-utopia in Modern Times, Krishan Kumar said that modern man could consume their own fantasy, and consuming their fantasy would make their utopia come true,” explains Eunjoo.

The illustrator believes it’s not utopia that is achieved through this idea but rather a temporary paradise, especially when this notion is applied to contemporary society. “In capitalism, people can realise their own fantasy using money and material objects, however we can’t ignore the negative effects. It is impossible to be happy forever, so we can’t call this idea a utopia,” says the illustrator. In Eunjoo’s story, she aims to mimic modern culture through her protagonist’s dreams, where she’s confronted with the devil in her dreams but comes to realise she’s actually looking at herself.

The themes and ideas presented by Eunjoo are dark and unnerving, yet her style manages to keep the narrative from becoming too sombre. A collection of pastel shades interspersed with darker colours denote a shift in tone, yet it’s kept just light enough so that it’s still digestible.

The illustrator’s characters have oversized appendages that hang clunkily at the end of wrists and ankles, yet their faces feel delicate and more refined. The background and landscapes Eunjoo sets the action to are intricate yet not overpowering, including simple details like a framed family photo, exotic plant life and the flickering glow of candlelight. These observations can be fully appreciated as Eunjoo has printed the illustrations as wonderful full-bleed double page spreads in the zine, giving the work more texture and warmth.