2023 - Flora

Description: This is a self-directed 2D visual development project based on an original story, world and characters created entirely by me.
Set in a post-nuclear world where humanity has survived underground while nature has transformed on the surface, I developed the project from early story and worldbuilding through to character design, creature and mutant plant development, environment design, props, costume exploration, colour scripting and final key art.
Throughout the project, I focused on building a cohesive visual language between the characters and their environment, using shape, colour, lighting and environmental storytelling to balance the aftermath of destruction with an underlying sense of warmth and hope.

Synopsis: Twenty-six years after a devastating nuclear war, sixteen-year-old botanist Flora volunteers to join an expedition from her underground shelter to explore the dangerous surface and search for resources that could help humanity rebuild.
During the journey, she discovers Sunday, a sentient mutant sunflower initially perceived by the team as an aggressive and dangerous creature. Recognising signs of human-like consciousness, Flora gradually forms a bond with Sunday and helps both sides overcome their fear and misunderstanding.
Through their relationship, the story explores the consequences of conflict and the importance of communication, empathy and hope, even in a world permanently changed by war.