‘Corpo de Cristo’ is the debut graphic novel by Galician author Bea Lema, newly published in Portugal by Iguana Publishing, and serves as the focal point for an exhibition of original artworks at the AmadoraBD festival.
With biographical inspiration, the book follows Vera, a young girl who narrates her relationship with her deeply religious mother, diagnosed with a mental illness and refusing medical treatment.
The narrative traces Vera’s growth and the impact of her mother’s illness on their family dynamics, relationships with neighbors, friends, and other relatives. Vera takes on the role of caregiver at an early age, amidst a society struggling to deal with mental illness.
Employing humor and sensitivity, the book portrays the caregiving role, often assigned to women, as well as exploring trauma, misunderstanding, and the stigma associated with mental illness, religious fanaticism, and patriarchal structures.
The artwork, blending illustration and graphic novel styles, was created using mixed techniques combining felt-tip pens and both hand and machine embroidery, in both color and black-and-white.
‘Corpo de Cristo’, a project Bea Lema began nearly a decade ago, first appeared in a Galician edition but was later developed during an artist residency in Angoulême, France. This resulted in the acclaimed and award-winning embroidered graphic novel, recognized with the Audience Award at the Angoulême Comics Festival 2024 and the National Comic Book Award of Spain 2024.
In an interview, Bea Lema explained her aim to tell her own story through this autofiction, exploring madness, her experience of becoming her mother’s caretaker, and the burden of mental health responsibilities often placed on patients.
“The patient isn’t heard, and their personal context, their lifestyle, their past isn’t valued. When I started on this, I discovered movements [within psychiatry] that criticize this approach,” she noted.
In ‘Corpo de Cristo’, Vera’s mother believes she harbors a demon within her and only faith and religion can cure her.
“To me, those demons represented something else, a message about the root of the problem, linked to abuse within the family. This occurs frequently and remains a taboo,” the author emphasized.
Bea Lema views contemporary discussions on mental health as essential and positive. “But when it comes to psychosis, much work remains, because it instills fear. Psychosis, seen as a loss of control, is often associated with horror films and dangerous individuals,” she explained.
Lema painstakingly embroidered dozens of pages by hand using recycled and secondhand materials, referencing her mother’s sewing and employing a technique that welcomes mistakes, enriching the narrative visually.
“I’m also interested in the idea of reuse, fabric as something lived with an associated history, symbolizing second chances,” she explained.
Bea Lema recently completed adapting ‘Corpo de Cristo’ into an animated short film, premiering in November in Spain.
“Comics offer a very free medium, allowing boundless creativity, but animation excites me too, taking me to new places and collaborative teamwork,” Lema stated.
The Amadora Comics Festival launches Thursday, featuring an exhibition dedicated to ‘Corpo de Cristo’, showcasing a selection of embroidered originals. Bea Lema will be present at the festival during the weekend of November 1st and 2nd.
