In Days of Sand, the Dust Bowl – which previously inspired John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath – becomes almost palpable. But as time goes by, John discovers that he needs to face something bigger than blazing storms of sand, if he wants to complete his assignment. They’re looking for someone to cover the Dust Bowl situation amongst the farmers in Oklahoma. It’s an urgent story that resonates with the current discourse about ecological and humanitarian disasters, and offers an answer to an important question: what role can artists play in addressing environmental crises?ĭe Jongh makes use of authentic photos and eyewitness accounts, but more than anything it’s the pages filled with sand and dust that viscerally convey just how lethal nature can be. In Days of Sand, Aimée de Jongh tells the moving story of a desolate region which falls prey to the destructive power of man and nature. I just love how detailed everything is, how she captures all the little things. After his encounter with the charming Betty, he makes a decision that will change his life and his relationship to his profession forever. The art is magnificent once again, Aime de Jongh <3 <3. Despite the stunning and detailed streetscapes she passes, de Jongh discovers shes more interested in the cab drivers than the view from the backseat. Because even though an image says more than a thousand words, he realizes a photographer can never convey the full picture. Aimée’s most recent graphic novel is Days of Sand (Jours de Sable), about the American Dust Bowl, released in 2021.

He also begins to have doubts about the importance of his profession and the limits of photography. Aimée de Jongh received her BA degree in Animation at the Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam, and studied at KASK Ghent and at the Gobelins Summer School Paris. He finds himself faced with a dilemma: he doesn’t just want to record what he sees he also wants to help these people.

Gradually John becomes more and more invested in their plight.

Days of Sand by Aimée de Jongh