Silvia Rocchi's 'Brucia' explores class and friendship through punk-infused comics

Silvia Rocchi (Pisa, 1986) released her solo graphic novel 'Brucia' with Rizzoli Lizard in 2017, already ranked among Artribune's best comics of 2017. The book follows two women from different social backgrounds—one a manager's daughter, the other a worker—whose lives intersect after a tragic accident at a steel plant. Rocchi, known for her scratchy line, punk culture references, and self-publishing background, uses the story to visualize feelings of emptiness, pain, and rage. The fictional Zeni Sider steel mill and characters Tamara and Maria serve as a 'short circuit' between fiction and real-world plausibility. Rocchi, who studied painting at Bologna's Academy of Fine Arts, balances painting for formal aesthetics and comics for content. She co-founded the self-publishing collective La Trama in 2009. 'Brucia' marks a new starting point for her, emphasizing total control over her work.