Manjit Thapp. Panel from Thaw Out. 2024. Courtesy the artist

Spring doesn’t just bring warmer temperatures and blooming flowers. For UK-based illustrator Manjit Thapp, spring also offers new beginnings. “I was eager to look at the pressures we place on ourselves at the beginning of the year,” says Thapp, who explored similar themes in her first graphic novel, Feelings: A Story in Seasons. “I wanted to explore how seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can contribute to this, and how the shorter, darker days can heighten feelings of lethargy and disappointment.” SAD is a subset of depression related to seasonal changes that, according to the World Health Organization, affects about 280 million people worldwide. In this month’s Drawn to MoMA, Thapp explores this experience. She takes us from January’s “winter blues” to the budding warmth of March, while showing us just how connected we are to the natural world.

Manjit Thapp is an illustrator based in the UK. Her work combines digital and traditional media, and she enjoys layering textures and patterns. Her first graphic novel, Feelings: A Story in Seasons, was published in 2021.

UNIQLO is MoMA’s proud partner of #ArtforAll.