Mobius
"Mobius" was my final project for the Level 1 Digital Graphic course. I spent more time on it than I would on a normal assignment because the idea was personal. That is why I chose to include it in my portfolio.
A Mobius strip forms a loop with no clear beginning or end. For me, the loop shows the fear of getting stuck in a life where every day feels the same. A few years ago, the pandemic, losing my job, and a painful breakup left me feeling that way. I had no clear direction. I often imagined myself as an astronaut trapped in a spaceship, living the same day again and again, like "Groundhog Day" in space.
My life did change in the end. New opportunities gave me a way to leave my old life and move to Canada for a fresh start.
Both astronauts in the poster are versions of me, and I placed my face on each of them. One is caught in a mass of tentacles and pulled into darkness. He shows how hopeless I felt at the time. The other finds a way through the infinity symbol and reaches back to pull his past self out of the loop.
I generated all the elements with Midjourney, then arranged them in Photoshop across 27 layers. I based the look on movie posters from the 1970s and 1980s. The astronauts' poses refer to Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam."
This project still means a lot to me. I printed a copy and hung it on my bedroom wall.
Sad Rock
"Sad Rock" is a cartoon character I created. Its look was influenced by "The Simpsons" and the work of Peng Lei, my favorite Chinese artist and rock star. I drew the character in Adobe Illustrator and made parts of the background with Midjourney and Illustrator's AI tools.
