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Virtual Art Space

Catalog view is the alternative 2D representation of our 3D virtual art space. This page is friendly to assistive technologies and does not include decorative elements used in the 3D gallery.

Space Title

a universe unknown

Within the World Titled Resonance
Credited to Caitlin "Cai" Duff
Opening date September 21st, 2022
View 3D Gallery
Main image for a universe unknown

Statement:

Caitlin, otherwise known as Cai is a digital artist working towards their Bachelor’s in Fine Arts at San Jose State University. They are a Filipino-American artist, born and raised in California. They’re able to work in multiple mediums but since 2017, they decided to shift their focus towards digital illustrations. They’ve been drawing as long as they could remember and found themselves drawing things they enjoyed. This varied from pictures of their family, animals and cartoon characters. As a kid, they also enjoyed watching cartoons, anime, and playing games. When they got older, they realized they wanted to create more original art. Soon after they began playing Dungeons and Dragons(DND) in 2017, their inspiration grew and the love for creating new and original characters developed. Recently, they’ve begun putting a lot more thought into their works and wanted to influence others in similar ways the shows and games they grew up with affected them. Some topics they tend to touch upon are the reality of mental health, practicing self care, and the importance of LGBTQ+ representation and protection. Their overall goal is to continue making art for various games and gradually move towards animating for them and even work on animated shows.

3D Environment Description:

“a universe unknown” is a series of digital illustrations and animations to highlight the significance of self care, demonstrate the reality of mental illnesses, while also shedding light on LGBTQ+ representation and protection. Using my own characters and a custom made maze-like environment, I will create visual representations of what it’s like to struggle with mental illnesses and self discovery.
This show is based upon my own personal experiences with mental health and the journey of exploring my queer identity. Growing up, I felt that there weren’t many resources or influences out in the world to remind me to take care of myself and normalize the idea of figuring out who you are in terms of gender or sexuality. There were many times where I felt that there was something wrong with me because I felt so different then most people. Today, I now understand that figuring out who you are is a normal and very time consuming process. Additionally, there weren’t a lot of people who took my mental health seriously and brushed it off as a phase or invalidated it. I don’t believe that people should struggle the same way that I did; I want others to realize that it’s okay to feel these things and it’s okay to take time for yourself whether that means discovering who you are, or healing yourself.
To reflect my own experiences and emotions, I have decided to model a 3D maze for the viewers to navigate through. Scattered throughout the maze, my work is displayed on different walls, similar to the ways that real galleries have their art hanging. My characters were drawn using Procreate on the iPad, some were animated with the same program as well as on Adobe After Effects. Sounds for two of the videos were added and edited using Adobe Premiere Pro. To create the maze, I modeled and colored the structures on Blender. This gallery is meant to be as immersive as possible to help enforce how important these topics are.

Artworks in this space:

Artwork title

because society said so

Artist name Cai Duff
Artwork Description:

This piece unintentionally became a self portrait. Though this body isn’t exactly what I look like, these are what my emotions look and feel like. One of the most notable things about this thing is that the color palette is based on the gender fluid pride flag. I myself identify as gender fluid. Each color has its own meaning, and as such I’ve chosen how to color what in relation to my connections with those genders. The shibari rope around reflects the restriction and force I feel to be a woman, with parts of my bleeding blue because of the parts of me that feel masculine.The subject is taken from a fictional race in DnD, known as a tiefling. They have horns and tails and are stereotypically mischievous people. I chose them because I’ve rejected stereotypes my whole life. I blindfolded the figure because throughout my life, I’ve felt that people would be so clouded and blinded by gender stereotypes, ignoring the real personality that lies beneath. The title simply refers to just that, having to be someone you’re not because you were born into a society that tells you who you need to be.

because society said so
Artwork title

Chrysalis

Artist name Cai Duff
Artwork Description:

Chrysalis is a cocoon a caterpillar goes into before turning into a butterfly. This animation visualizes a trans male physically transitioning. The color palette is taken from the transgender flag. While people may believe that coming out and being who you are is important, it could also be very pressuring and dangerous. Others don’t understand that people could be in an uncomfortable situation that could mentally and potentially physically harm them. While the trans male fair does shine brighter, he is also injured and bleeding. He was able to finally transition…but at what cost?

Artwork title

i'll be fine...

Artist name Cai Duff
Artwork Description:

“i’ll be fine” is a visual depiction of what anxiety can feel like to me. Everyone experiences it differently, but something common I experience is overthinking. My mind goes into what I call overdrive, and all these thoughts and questions just rush into my brain. I start freaking out and my mind feels so foggy, like there’s so much going on. The phantom hands are my dark thoughts holding me back, and hidden in the smoke are phrases that slip into my head. The subject is also a fantasy race, known as aasimar, who are winged creatures. I wanted them to seem more grounded and held back, so the wings were essential. They want to escape and be free, but all these thoughts are holding them back. The color scheme is based on the non-binary flag. I primarily used the darker colors scheme and minimal amounts of light to immerse that feeling of being in a dark place.

i'll be fine...
Artwork title

don't forget to love yourself

Artist name Cai Duff
Artwork Description:

“Don’t forget to love yourself” is something I tell myself and something I’m still practicing. I tend to overwork myself while constantly being here for and helping others to the point where I don’t give myself a mental break. I always feel the need to be dependable for others so they’re not stuck in a bad place. But, then who’s going to take care of me? The idea behind this, is that the hands (which are depicted as dragon folk hands), are preventing the fire of their heart from going out. The hands are meant to be cradling and shielding the heart, protecting it from any danger. I’ve started becoming more cautious of who I open up my true self to, so that I can prevent anyone negative in my life from harming me mentally. Self care is an incredibly important thing to remember and practice. You have to take care of yourself mentally and physically. This body is the only one you have, so love and protect it.

don't forget to love yourself
Artwork title

masking

Artist name Cai Duff
Artwork Description:

Many people with mental issues do what is called “masking”, including myself. Masking refers to hiding away your true feelings and projecting a different one so that no one understands what you’re really feeling. I do this quite a bit, cause I don’t like having people worry about me, it tends to feel like taking care of me becomes a job for others. To prevent this “burden” I will bottle up my emotions, masking the truth so that I don’t create more work for other people. This subject is also based off a fictional DnD race known as a firbolg.

Artwork title

suffocation

Artist name Cai Duff
Artwork Description:

When I’m in a dark place, I try to force myself to reach out to others for help. Unfortunately, I don’t always have someone around to talk to me, and when I do, the more I ask for help, the more I feel guilty for it. So, I kind of just give up and try to deal with things myself. It can feel extremely overwhelming on your own, which is where the title “suffocation” comes from. Your voice becomes unheard, and getting to that safe space gets harder and harder to do. I suggest not dealing with things on your own if you can avoid it. Never hesitate to ask for help, you’re allowed to be selfish every now and then. Seek help, go to others when you need to. Remember you’re never actually alone. (audio from YouTube)