Elena Wen

In the Modern Era Fortune Curses Happiness

Illustrated, designed and bound by Elena Wen and written by Joe Felice, In the Modern Era Fortune Curses Happiness has an ingenious book structure. The structure consists of a double accordion fold attached on either side of a cover that appears to be a codex; however each section folds out in a different direction. The 22 illustrations were done with pen and ink, and printed on an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer.

The story is a surreal parable of class war told from the perspective of a sheltered child of the leisure class. The narrator grapples with the brutality that surrounds her by retreating into a fantasy world that blends a child’s misunderstanding of what is happening around her.

Press: Constructed by the Artist
Date: 2005
Number and Edition: 7 of 15
Size: 6” x 10”