Bringing Aesopâs classic to life, one pop-up page at a time! đąđšđ”
Colored pencil, ink, and paper on a pop-up layout
This project reimagines the classic fable of The Tortoise and the Hare through a series of multi-layered, interactive pop-up (kirigami) panels. The goal was to combine traditional illustration with simple paper engineering to give a timeless story a dynamic, physical dimension.
Over Confident
Character Design: The characters are designed with an expressive, animation-forward style. The contrast between the rabbit’s wide-eyed arrogance/panic and the tortoise’s calm, winking confidence drives the narrative forward.
Kirigami Each scene utilizes a multi-tier pop-up . By cutting and folding separate paper tabs, the characters stand completely independent of the background plane, casting soft natural shadows that emphasize the 3D depth.
Color & Line: The backdrops feature soft, textured colored-pencil rendering for the landscapes and skies, balanced by clean ink outlines and bold speech bubbles ….to mimic a classic comic strip format.
A tailpiece : Kirigami (ćăçŽ) is a variation of the much famous Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper. In kirigami, the paper is cut as well as being folded, resulting in a three-dimensional design that pop-up from the page. In Japanese kiri mean ‘cut’, and kami, ‘paper’- so the obvious coined name Kirigami!
The rabbit brags, and the tortoise suggests a race.The StartThe NapThe ShockThe Ending
For my latest creative project, I decided to explore the minimal and expressive world of continuous-line wire art.
I used thin, pliable, metallic pink-coated wire to form a single, unbroken outline that represents an abstracted figure or face, emphasizing fluid movement and organic loops.
The challenge was to maintain a single continuous form while creating the internal swirls and facial features. The final delicate piece is displayed against a clean, plain background to let the lines and cast shadows do the talking.
This doodle composition brings together symbols, memories, fantasy elements, and personal interests into a single visual collage. Books, letters, keys, magical objects, landscapes, creatures, and abstract forms coexist on the page, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected ideas.
DoodleDoodle
Theme: Visual Storytelling âą Fantasy Motifs âą Creative Exploration âš
These sketches are part of an ongoing exploration of character design, fashion illustration, and visual storytelling. Each drawing begins with a simple idea and evolves through lines, shapes, textures, and color. From a flower-inspired dress to contemporary fashion concepts, these works reflect an interest in blending nature, clothing, and personality into unique visual characters.
Created using pencil, ink, and colored pencils, these sketches capture the joy of experimentation and the process of turning imagination into form. Every page is a step forward in understanding design, proportion, expression, and style.
Sketchbook explorations âą Character Design âą Fashion Illustration âą Creative Practice âš
Sketchbook Notes: Fashion, Form & ImaginationSketchbook Notes: Fashion, Form & Imagination
Three years ago, as a Grade 7 student, this creative project brought an imaginary destination to life â Tori Kojima (Bird Island). Designed as a hand-crafted foldout brochure, it combines storytelling, illustration, map-making, character design, and information design into a playful travel experience.
The project introduces readers to a fictional island filled with unique bird species, complete with a custom island map, ticket design, and colorful bird characters such as the Sakura Bird, Ruby-Ring Parrot, and Yuyake Bird. Every page reflects curiosity, imagination, and an early interest in visual communication.
Looking back, this project is a wonderful reminder that design begins with observation, creativity, and the courage to invent new worlds. It represents an important milestone in a young designerâs journey and showcases how storytelling and illustration can work together to engage an audience.
Brochure project BrochureBrochure
Created as a school project in Grade 7 (2023). Medium: Hand-drawn illustrations, marker rendering, and handmade brochure design.
