You Are The Universe
Speculative Animation
Animation
#Universe #Eastern Philosophy #Aesthetics #Inner World #Spiritual World
For centuries, humanity has never ceased its pursuit of the ultimate reality. They look to the stars, setting out on journeys into the vastness of the cosmos. But there are also a group of people who turn inward, believing the answers lie within.
This film is a journey through the inner universe, inspired by Eastern philosophy and aesthetics, and shaped by the meeting of Eastern and Western wisdoms. As yin and yang give rise to one another, as stillness and motion coexist, we come to realise — the universe is not out there. It flows within.
" We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are Spiritual beings having a human experience."
这是一个与美国智库合作的气候虚构研究项目。我以东方哲学中“宇宙即我，我即宇宙”的思想为核心，将人与宇宙边界逐渐消失的内在探索转译为叙事性视觉体验。设计提取尺度、循环、虚实、流动与无限等关键词，并将道家视觉意象重构为空间语言。动画以修行者为线索，通过场景持续变化，使角色从有限空间进入无边界环境，逐渐失去对尺度与现实的判断，在冥想式旅程中感受个体与宇宙的融合。
Developed in collaboration with a US think tank, this climate-fiction research project translates the Eastern philosophical idea of “the universe within the self, and the self within the universe” into a narrative visual experience. Concepts of scale, cycles, fluidity, ambiguity and infinity were extracted and combined with reinterpreted Taoist imagery to form a spatial language. Following a Taoist practitioner, the animation moves from enclosed environments into boundless spaces, gradually dissolving the character’s sense of scale and reality to create a meditative journey towards unity between the individual and the universe.
Key Frames
Screening
You Are the Universe was screened as part of the “Climate Fiction” event at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.
3D Environments Design
To better reflect the core principles of Chinese philosophy, the environmental design of every shot incorporates Chinese cultural elements and traditional aesthetics, creating a more refined and cohesive visual experience.
3D Character Design
The protagonist is based on a young man from ancient China, with light, understated clothing and a hairstyle that complement the animation’s overall aesthetic. By maintaining visual consistency between the character design and the film’s artistic style, his fantastical journey feels natural and convincing rather than out of place.
