Alice Chen

BA Art and Design

Spiral is a portrayal of a yearning for the innocence of childhood. Driven by Alice’s anxiety towards the future, this piece aims to rediscover the curiosity and positivity she possessed as a child to help her navigate through the difficulties in life. By employing 3D Claymation and 2D animation techniques, Alice reimagines her childhood home into a space where her current self meets with her inner child, blurring the lines between imagination and reality. Both the animation medium and material choices are important to reflect an exploratory approach towards childhood, where the transformative quality of animation allows for ceaseless possibilities for narrative development, and the tactile quality of clay resonates with the sense of touch – the most crucial aspect of a child’s growth. The moulding and shaping of clay are processes that portray the concepts of time as the core theme of this piece. Additionally, the 2D illustrations presents another layer that integrates both of Alice’s selves, where parts of it embody the qualities of oil pastel to reflect the child, and others use smoother textures to depict Alice’s current illustration style.

There is an element of inner dialogue written in Alice’s current state. In a poetic way, the dialogue illustrates an evolution of Alice “spiralling” into a place full of worries, to a mindset where she feels revitalised by the presence of her inner child. The dynamics of the film is clear not only with the message delivered by the poem but also, the music composed by Music Technology student, Oliver Tapley. With the visual, literary, and sound elements, the animation aims to resonate with the viewers, encouraging everyone to be in touch with their inner children..