“Stars of the Waters”
Animation, Unreal Engine world building, 3d modeling, compositing, and editing
“Stars of the Waters” animation and original music by Michelle P. Dodson & Bryan Dodson
Artists’ Statement
Our piece is about living in harmony with the world and was inspired by the Brazilian myth of Jaci (the moon) and Naiá. It depicts Naia emerging from the depths of the Igarapé river as the giant water lily Vitória Régia to begin her eternal dance with the moon. Vitória Régia only opens her flowers in the moonlight fulfilling her desire to be with Jaci eternally. Vitória Régia’s petals are white until she is pollinated and the blooms become a vivid pink. These natural cycles are how the earth renews itself. The living things within an ecosystem interact with each other and their environment to form an ecological unit. This ecological interplay makes clear that nothing exists in a vacuum, and everything and everyone is interdependent on each other.
About the Exhibition
“Digital Fairy Tales: Myths of Brazil” brings together a diverse selection of stories and characters from Brazil’s folk history. Contributing artists come from all over the world, with an emphasis on Brazilian creators. This mix of perspectives adds depth and archetypical resonance by tapping into universal axioms of folk and fairy stories.
Brazil is a massive and complex culture with a deep history of diversity, independence and connection to nature. Whereas these qualities are often considered strengths, they can also be exploited to create danger and division. The mission of “Myths of Brazil” is to recognize the verdant nature of the country’s cultural history, in an effort to positively affect the present and future. The connection between stories created hundreds, thousands, of years ago, now being interpreted in our contemporary digital era is meant to strengthen our notions of personhood as we slip further into new types of realities.
“Myths of Brazil” is the ninth in the DIGITAL FAIRY TALES series which found its beginnings in German folk tales collected by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth. Other DFT projects include “Chinese Stories,” “Obvious Surprise” (Feminist Fairy Tales), and “Vengeance is Mine.”
More information at: