Shame. We’ve all felt it from time to time and dating back to Eve’s fall, the feeling of discomfort is an integral part of human existence. For the Korean illustrator Leebin Soyeon, who “often feels shame about a lot of things”, the emotion has been so prevalent, it’s even become a source of inspiration for her latest publication.

Titled Shape of Shame, the illustrator captures moments of shame through a beautifully crafted graphic novel. Leebin’s highly original drawing style, which utilises a melting pot of muted amber, turquoise and violet tones, acts as the underpinning engagement throughout the comic. She illustrates the things we feel most shameful about trapped in translucent objects from jellies, balloons, slime and so on.

“I know very well that my feelings of shame don’t come from immorality, mistakes or imperfections” explains Leebin. “It’s because of the incongruity that comes with not being able to meet the womanly role that my parents, society or men set.” Despite these conventional pressures, Leebin finds herself freed in the day-to-day trivial jokes that provide a release. And in turn, she visualises feelings of shame through humour in an attempt to normalise them. “That’s why I decided to put something that causes shame into translucent objects, like jokes,” she says on the matter. “I thought if I made an illustration art book about the aforementioned, it would become more about human universality rather than focusing on my own personal shame.”