P02: The Wishmaker

Project 02: The Wishmaker

Wishmaker (2025) is an experimental video performance where I explore the intersection of personal aspiration and ecological contemplation. Central to the piece is footage of myself attempting to inflate a windsock fashioned as a whale shark adorned with stars, symbolizing the cosmos. Accompanying this imagery are audio recordings from 38 individuals responding to the prompt, "What do you wish for the most?" The participants were encouraged to imagine if there existed an entity capable of granting wishes, what they would ask for. The non-hierarchical arrangement of these recordings allows the piece to unfold organically, avoiding a prescriptive narrative.

The choice of the whale shark motif reflects my fascination with its beauty and its profound ecological significance. By projecting participants' wishes into the sky through this iconic form, I aim to evoke a sense of interconnectedness with nature and the universe. While "Wishmaker" touches on themes of ecology and climate, its primary intention is to celebrate the inherent beauty of the whale shark and provoke contemplation on our relationship with the environment.

Through this project, I hope to inspire viewers to reflect on their own aspirations and consider our collective responsibility towards the natural world. Ultimately, Wishmaker invites viewers to gaze skyward with hope, imagining a world where our deepest wishes might find their place among the stars.

I followed similar processes to create this windsock from methods I learned from project one. It all started as digital models and was translated into a physical object through sewing PU coated nylon fabric to create an air tight vessel.

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P01: The Bespoke Object, Proposal.

Plan A. B rief description of your concept Plainly, to create a Pink Inflatable Crocodile. This object would become part of a multimedia installation, that is about deep-ecology mediated through satirical narratives. In this installation the crocodile would be humorously narrating its life through karaoke. It is intended to be a multi course-project, I would specifically be making the soft sculpture for this object design class(OBDF.311A), and associated media required for the full installation would be made in other Major specific studio course. (MADT.451A) This project is meant to be part of an on-going thematic body of work that investigates regeneration and deep ecology philosophies. Mockups: Interpretation of the theme "Bespoke" My interpretation of the theme relies mostly on the fact that the object is fully customized. And its main purpose is to accompany a full installation. Just like custom-made clothes being "bespoke" to the person wearing them. ...

PO1: The Bespoke Object, Refining.

Week 2: I pretty much spent the entire week modifying the model. Mostly to make it usable for patterning, and maybe to also have it ready for animation, but I might take a different route on that. It was possible to just use the draft model, but working from experience anything that is curved on an inflatable would have a tendency to straighten. Because air volume inside the soft structure would have a tendency to push on all directions. To mitigate this, I instead opted for a flatter structure that resembles a crocodile more than a salamander. I do appreciate the whimsy of the initial draft. Tools Used: Nomad Sculpt, Blender, Rhino, Cozy Blanket. When designing models I tend to jump between software, Its easier to design soft and organic structures using mesh based modelling or sculpting. And I happen to have a variety of choices to choose from, each with a with a specific strength but none can do it best. Below is my workflow on Nomad Sculpt which is an I...

PO1 : Final Installation

Black River Media Installation Audio & Video Sculpture Black River is a media installation exploring displacement and the longing for a deep connection towards a kind of homeland. At its center is an Inflatable Crocodile—a puppet trapped in an unending karaoke performance, forever singing a song about its life. Though it has no voice, its presence suggests an eternal loop of longing, echoing unheard stories of loss. The work humanizes this fictional creature, evoking empathy and prompting reflection on our own connections to land. It investigates shifting ecological baselines—the way in which each living generation perceives nature’s decline as their “normal.” As ecosystems collapse, what we consider natural keeps shifting, obscuring what we’ve lost. Within this narrative , the crocodile longs for its polluted homeland and to be with other mutated crocodiles. Dwelling in a post-climate apocalypse where remnants of human industries remain and pollution becoming our final lega...

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