Evolution of a Poem

Design Exploration
FOUN 110 | Winter 2026

An exploration of translating poetry into visual form, evolving from 2D compositions to 2.5D, 3D, and time-based experiences.

White water splashing across a black background

POEM

This poem by Taiwanese poet Jian Zhen conveys a delicate and intimate bond between lovers, using evocative imagery of the ocean, eyes, and a small whale to create a sense of softness and emotional depth.

English translation of the poem: In your eyes, there is a sea, a hazy, smoky blue, two dark pupils like little whales swimming in quiet migration

Mind map around whale and eyes: sea, waves, silk, fin, coral, skin, black hole, whirlpool, universe

Project 1 :

PRINT (2D)

The poem I chose is by the Taiwanese poet Jian Zhen.

In her writing, she uses the imagery of a young whale and eyes to express a soft and fluid kind of love.

The poem gives me a calm and gentle feeling, so in my work I mainly drew from water elements associated with whales and expressed them through flowing curves.

Thumbnails:

Thumbnail sketch of sweeping curves forming a whale-like arc

Final Sketches:

Final sketch: bold black and white curves forming a large arc

Final sketch: the arc repeated as a nine-tile pattern

Details & Final Presentation:

Detail of the print: carved black curves on white paper

Detail of the print: textured curves meeting at the edge of a tile

Detail of the print: white curves cutting through black ink

Detail of the print: the carved wave texture up close

Final 2D print: nine black-and-white tiles of curling waves

Project 2 :

RELIEF (2.5D)

Building on my mind map, I expanded the keywords “whale” and “eyes” into “tail” and “vortex.”

Inspired by the poem’s soft and delicate emotions, I chose fabric as my primary material to create an organic, flowing composition with a gentle tactile quality. Through wrapping, rolling, and layering fabric strips around wire, I explored different textures and forms.

The naturally frayed edges added softness and depth to the piece. This process also helped me better understand spatial depth, relief, and the relationship between flat composition and three-dimensional structure.

Thumbnails:

Thumbnail sketch of a flower made of curled lines

Thumbnail sketch of tendrils bursting from a central bloom

Relief detail: cobalt yarn coiled into rosettes

Relief detail: frayed denim roses against blue yarn

Final 2.5D relief seen from above, with tendrils of cord spreading out

Final 2.5D relief: a cluster of blue yarn, denim roses and mint cord on gray

Relief detail: mint cord and denim curls

Relief detail: tightly wound cobalt yarn texture

Details & Final Presentation:

Project 3 :

PROP (3D)

Before starting my 3D project, I developed the idea of a diver embracing a whale underwater, inspired by the poem’s comparison of a lover to a whale. Based on this concept, I designed a wearable diving device.

I combined soft blue fabric with hard metallic elements to create contrast. Nuts were used as mask decorations, while silver spray paint unified the mask and whale-shaped oxygen tank. I also layered rectangular pieces of blue fabric and added intentional folds to create a richer sense of texture and dimension.

Thumbnails:

Sketch of a fin-like fabric form with a hanging ornament

Process:

Process: a stuffed denim tube shaped into a curve

Process: a hand form wrapped in silver foil

Process: blue fabric pieces stitched into a curved shape

Details:

Detail: blue striped shirt fabric with a button

Detail: denim with a bent metal wire and a bolt

Detail: silver nuts and coiled wire on denim

Detail: hex nuts and chain on blue fabric

Final Presentation:

Final 3D prop: blue fabric, metal hardware and chain arranged like a sea creature

Final 3D prop: silver chains and wire swirling around a blue center

Final 3D prop from above: denim, striped fabric and metal on black

Final 3D prop detail: chain and fabric curls

Project 4 :

ANIMATION (4D)

This frame-by-frame animation combines imagery from the poem with recurring elements from my previous projects, including waves, eyes, whales, and nuts, creating connections across different stages of my work.

I experimented with new techniques, combining video-based stop-motion with traditional hand-drawn animation and synchronizing visual transformations with music. Through fluid transitions, such as raindrops becoming a daughter figure and light in an eye expanding into an ocean, I aimed to capture the poem’s soft, delicate emotions.

Storyboard:

Final Animation:

← Back to Work