Research & Fieldwork
Primary & Secondary Research
The project began in the historic butcher alleys of Jamalpur. While visiting the history-driven side of town, I interviewed several butchers to uncover their motivations, familial backgrounds, and daily motivation and drivers. Shortly after I deep-dived into the literature and films online to see representation of butchers in media.
I studied their specialized equipment, noting how they sourced their knives from neighboring districts, which directly informed the props and workstation design. My sketchbooks were laid with sketches both live and in studio.
Inspiration
Through in-person interviews, I found that the butchers bought their equipment in specific stores in a near-by town, where they sourced their equipment, how they used it and what drove their profession.
Akbarbhai’s namesake was a real-world butcher working to support his mother’s medical bills. He seemed multifaceted person, like the characters I would see in games I love like Red Dead Redemption who were driven by their emotions but had to adapt to what life threw at them. I also met others like Muhammad - a butcher by day and rickshaw driver by night seeing who was very kind to the two girls roaming the unknown area scared by the massacre around us.
The Silhouette
Visual Storytelling
His workstation and attire were built from real-life references, reflecting his habits, his socioeconomic background, and the tangible wear-and-tear of his lifestyle.
