'Nausea' - book cover art

In my early 20s, Nausea was the book that had the most significant effect on my worldview at the time. I don’t know whether it helped, but I’d just read Sartre’s ‘Roads to Freedom’ on a journey to Brittany. Poor Brittany, poor me. There has never been a more fitting title for this book.

In this cover illustration for Nausea, I’ve tried to visually interpret the internal struggle of Antoine Roquentin, a French writer grappling with the weight of his consciousness. The artwork depicts a solitary figure seated on a bench, surrounded by a landscape that alternates between vibrant colours and stark shadows, reflecting the tumultuous emotions described in the narrative. Hopefully, in the colour and form, I’ve captured something of the isolation and existential dread. 

The interplay of colour and form captures the essence of Roquentin's journey through a world that feels both familiar and alien, embodying the visceral sensation of nausea that permeates his thoughts.