The Chronological Eras became more like a 'living thesis' with each passing Era. 'Journeying' within myself and then photographing what changed was an immensely powerful act personally and academically. I was also able to imagine myself thinking of my past as 'layers of textured, colored and shaped complexities' as opposed to a series of ordered 'phased' events. I was also able to appreciate myself better as a person and a designer more through the process.
TOOLS: Blender / TouchDesigner / MadMapper / Adobe Illustrator / Adobe Photoshop / Adobe After Effects / Figma / Ableton Live (for sound layering)
Origin
Origin is the genesis of the self. It is the quiet before the chaos. The butterfly serves as the central totem of this collection—a symbol of fragility, metamorphosis, and the soul. It was vital for me to establish a guide that could navigate the murky waters of identity, appearing here in its most embryonic state.
Rendered in soft blush pinks and muted lavenders, this piece represents the safety of the womb. The figure is suspended in a fetal embrace, untouched by the world and unaware of the transformation that awaits. It is the raw potential of a life that has not yet been written.
Dawn
Dawn symbolizes the blinding purity of childhood. There is a comfort in that ignorance, a sweetness in the lack of awareness. It is an era defined by the cloth that veils the eyes—a literal and metaphorical blindness to the complexities of the world.
In this stage, the figure is surrounded by disembodied hands. These hands represent the external forces of caregiving and control; they cradle us, but they also shape us before we have the autonomy to shape ourselves. It is the beginning of the odyssey, standing on the precipice of the world with eyes covered, trusting the hands that guide us.
Limbo
Limbo is inspired by the feeling of being lost. It relates to the time in my life when I was studying Mathematics. I spent years trying to convince myself that I was happy on that path, but deep down, I felt out of place.
I was doing well in my classes, but I felt empty. I was living the life others expected of me, not the life I wanted. The art here uses cold, grey and blue colors to show how lonely and confusing that time felt. The character looks distorted, like a glitch. This was the hard time I had to go through to realize that I didn't belong in science—I belonged in art.
Pheonix
Phoenix is about the violence of shedding your skin. It represents the rupture—the moment I finally summoned the courage to abandon the safety of the known path to pursue the uncertainty of Graphic Design.
This visual communicates the struggle between growth and resistance. The hands that once cradled me in Dawn now press against my face, representing the old habits and fears that refused to let go. Leaving my previous life wasn't easy; it was a fight. Deep indigos and sepias color this battle. But just as the butterfly must tear the chrysalis to survive, I had to push past the resistance. This piece captures the exact moment the decision was made: to stop surviving and start becoming.
Eras
Eras is the final piece of the series, but it is not a conclusion. It represents the fluidity of the present moment. A page has been turned, and I have accepted that identity is not a fixed point, but a continuous state of becoming.
The visuals here are atmospheric and ethereal, offering breathing room that the previous phases lacked. The butterfly returns, no longer dormant, moving with gentle purpose. This state is not definitive; it will shift as I grow. This piece serves as a living journal, a visual anchor that I will revisit as I move forward in my career and life. It is the realization that I am no longer the mathematician, nor the lost child, but an artist who has finally learned to see without the veil.
All of my works are devoted with respect to My loving parents, my design administrators and my preceptors. Their endless support and trust helped me complete my trip to the stylish of my knowledge and virtue. Their struggles have handed me with the key to unlock the mystifications of our world, and beyond
Thank you for stepping into my story!
Got a vision whispering to you? Let’s bring it to life!
salihamurtaza774@gmail.com
