Design Map · Eindhoven
Red Shiny Passport
Graduation project by Orka Lippert at Design Academy Eindhoven, 2026. Shown during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven on Design Map, location F5.
A graphic novel in the shape of a passport tells the story of Maher, an 18‑year‑old Rohingya refugee whom Orka Lippert met while volunteering in Greece. Stateless since birth, he has never held a passport and therefore has no access to basic human rights such as education, protection or legal identity. He once described the European document as a “red shiny passport”, capturing both his longing for belonging and the power a single piece of paper can hold. The publication imitates the look of an official passport yet remains a forgery, echoing the reality of forced migration where forged documents often become a means of survival.
The story unfolds through travel stamps and fragments of conversations. Maher’s journey includes years of waiting, isolation and repeated rejection. By working within this familiar format, Orka questions how passports create hierarchies and decide who may move freely and who are excluded from this right.