I Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye is a personal and artistic exploration of unresolved grief. Since childhood, I have been both afraid of and drawn to conversations about death and loss. This interest, along with my own experiences, have inspired the creation of this zine. Through a series of reflective texts, I navigate themes of death, guilt, grief, and closure, approaching them with honesty yet leaving room for peace and healing. Each piece is accompanied by custom visual elements, crafted using a range of visual design techniques to deepen the emotional resonance of the work.
This zine was created as part of a publication course at Aalto University, where I chose to focus on death (specifically complicated grief) drawing from personal experience. The topic is often avoided in conversation, particularly when it comes to asking others about their lost loved ones. Through this project, I wanted to challenge that silence while also experimenting with visual language. Death-related imagery is often confined to gothic aesthetics or somber funeral motifs, but I sought to reimagine it in a more nuanced, organic way. With this zine, I aimed to contribute to the discourse on grief through an artistic and experimental lens.
I combined illustration, graphic design, and printmaking techniques in a mixed-media approach, creating visual elements that not only complement the text but also stand on their own. To deepen the reader’s experience, I incorporated interactive paper elements that invite tactile engagement, bringing a sense of presence and movement to the zine. In a way, I set out to make a zine about death feel alive.
The zine was printed using risograph in three colors and hand-bound with thread. Given the variety of paper types and sizes used, the assembly process was meticulous, but it added a unique character to the final product. The variety of paper types and sizes, along with fold-out elements was chosen to create a reflective, immersive experience; one that encourages the reader to connect personally with the themes of loss and grief.
Behind the scenes...
A glimpse into the making of I Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye:
