Michelle Kuan 關嫣嫣

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖ — [ID: 1 – A CG illustration of a floral arrangement in a black metallic bowl adorned with dangling chains. Glassy daylilies intermingle with greenery, oxalis, and lilacs. The bowl is perched on a pool of rippling water. 2 – A close crop of the previous image that showcases the glass-like materiality of two daylilies and a lilac stem. Beads of dew sparkle in the distance.] #c4d #c4dart #3d #redshift #cgi #cinema4d #render #3dart #3dartwork #3drender #redshift3d #illustration #digitalillustration #cgi #surrealart #digitalart #zbrush #zbrushsculpt #zbrushart #sculpture #digitalsculpt #3Dsculpt

Dreaming about past lives ⋆ ˖⁺ ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⋆ Sound by: @juergenbranz — [ID: A CG animation of a glass ornamental mirror floating in a surreal cloudy landscape. The mirror’s reflection depicts a memory of gently rippling water and hanging foliage. Dust particles drift across the entire animation, in time with the mystical music that is playing on a loop.] #c4d #c4dart #3d #redshift #cgi #cinema4d #render #3dart #3dartwork #3drender #redshift3d #illustration #digitalillustration #cgi #surrealart #digitalart #zbrush #zbrushsculpt #zbrushart #sculpture #digitalsculpt #3Dsculpt #animation #3danimation

Last year, I contributed an essay to @aredotna ’s 2024 Annual in response to the theme of “trace”—“to find or discover through investigation; to copy, sketch, or superimpose; a mark, a sign, an inkling, a glimpse.” At the time, I was contemplating my conflicted relationship with my teeth and reading extensively about somatic memory. This led to a piece that editor Meg Miller described as an “ode to teeth as living archives.” Looking back, this essay feels particularly meaningful, as it reignited my interest in cell biology and led me to revisit scientific journals for the first time since completing my degree in Developmental Biology & Embryology a decade ago. A year later, I remain strangely captivated by teeth and the body’s remarkable ability to grow, adapt, and preserve memory over a lifetime. A special thank you to editor @meggmillerr for the thoughtful guidance, and @gracenbrilz for sharing some wonderful papers on the subject of records as hauntings and absences. ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ Book design by Leslie Liu Cover design by Desmond Wong Edition of 750. 4.5in x 7.7in paperback, 225 pages Available for purchase at the Are.na Gift Shop ⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖ (Image descriptions and credits in comments)

A selection of illustrations created earlier this year for GHARAGE Vision Hub, a global collective of strategists, designers, innovators, and investors with the shared mission of bringing the magic of travel back to the journeys themselves. Guided by GHARAGE’s three focus areas of Travel, Trade, and Technology, this evergreen image library imagines future airports that foster well-being, circular retail systems, and the technological advancements that will benefit the travellers of tomorrow. GHARAGE Vision Hub is supported by Gebr. Heinemann, one of the world’s leading travel retailers across Europe and Asia.  Special thanks to @alexandra.zenner for the opportunity and thoughtful art direction. ·⁀ ༄.°✈ [ID: 1 – A CG still life depicting a set of frosted glass skincare bottles perched on a mirrored surface reflecting a summer sky. A metallic chain coils between the bottles, tracing the contours of tiny puddles, a polished pebble, and the curve of a chamomile stem. 2 – A CG illustration of a speculative glass airport at dusk, rising from a lake between rugged rock islands. Trails of glowing runway lights stretch across the water’s surface, as a glass airplane glides through the fading light. 3 – A CG illustration of a grassy dune landscape, punctuated by a glowing tree encased in a dense, grid-like structure. The tree’s light casts an otherworldly glow across the gentle slopes.]

This spring, I had the opportunity to create a series of animations for @rearc.institute ’s third symposium, arquitecturas de buen-vivir planetario, held in Bogotá, Colombia. Inspired by the symposium’s program, which honoured the Andean concept of buen vivir, the animations explored Colombia’s rich biodiversity and the symbiotic relationship between nature and humanity. This video features a lush treetop environment filled with epiphytes and other endemic life forms, rendered in a blend of natural and manmade materials. Thank you to re:arc institute and Alice Grandoit-Šutka for inviting me to make graphics for this beautiful event. . ݁₊᪥⋆. ݁ [ID: A metallic flower rests on a lichen-covered branch in the foreground, its glass-like stamen spinning gently in the breeze. In the background, two taller plants bloom as dust particles drift through the air. A small insect glides across the scene, shimmering in the fading light of dusk.]

and @emi.taka.hashi : ソヨソヨ SOYO SOYO (5/5風) ♫ Resin, PLA, Wood A gentle and calm rustling or swaying sound, often associated with leaves or blades of grass moving in the wind. ༄ 3D Sculpting/Modelling, SLA & FDM 3D Printing, Resin Sculpture & Base: Michelle Kuan Suminagashi, Base & Podium: Emi Takahashi Sound Design: @hinakoomori CNC: @graphik224 Production Consultation: Le Square (BANQ) Exhibited at @galeriemymonkey in Nancy, France, 30.11.23 – 29.02.24 We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. ༄ (ID in comments)

and @michelllekuan : ヒュルルン HYURURUN (4/5風) ♫ Wood, Acrylic, Stainless Steel The sound of a powerful and swift wind rushing vigorously across the sky. ༄ Suminagashi & Sculpture: Emi Takahashi Sound Design: @hinakoomori CNC/Laser Cutting: @graphik224 3D Rendering Mockups: @michelllekuan Production Consultation: @zhennyboye Installation Process Photo: Milena SantaCruz (@canicheimmortel ) Exhibited at @galeriemymonkey in Nancy, France, 30.11.23 – 29.02.24 We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. ༄ (ID in comments)

and @michelllekuan : サワサワ SAWA SAWA (3/5風) ♫ Wood, Acrylic, Stainless Steel The sound of the wind rustling through trees and foliage. ༄ Suminagashi & Sculpture: Emi Takahashi Sound Design: @hinakoomori Laser Cutting: @graphik224 Exhibited at @galeriemymonkey in Nancy, France, 30.11.23 – 29.02.24 We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. ༄ (ID in comments)

and @emi.taka.hashi : スースー SUU SUU (2/5風) ♫ Resin, Acrylic, Wood The sound of the wind as it passes through a small opening and the corresponding sensation of a cool breeze or draft. ༄ 3D Sculpting/Modeling, SLA 3D Printing, Exterior Shell: Michelle Kuan Suminagashi, Interior Forms: Emi Takahashi Sound Design: @hinakoomori Laser Cutting: Laser Art MTL Exhibited at @galeriemymonkey in Nancy, France, 30.11.23 – 29.02.24 We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. ༄ (ID in comments)

and @emi.taka.hashi : ビュンビュン BYUN BYUN (1/5風) ♫ Acrylic, PLA, Projection Mapping The sound and appearance of an object or entity flying violently through the wind or spinning at a high speed. ༄ 3D Sculpting/Modeling, Animation & FDM 3D Printing: Michelle Kuan Suminagashi & Sculpture Design: Emi Takahashi Sound Design: @hinakoomori Laser Cutting: @graphik224 Installation Process Photo: Milena SantaCruz (@canicheimmortel ) Exhibited at @galeriemymonkey in Nancy, France, 30.11.23 – 29.02.24 We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. ༄ (ID in comments)

and @michelllekuan : Earlier this year, our solo exhibition in Nancy, France, KAZE·風, came to a close. It feels surreal to look back at a year ago, when we first conceptualized this exhibition and began working with physical sculpture for the first time. We want to thank everyone who helped us bring this project to life. We are especially grateful to the wonderful team at Galerie My monkey, who trusted and supported our vision throughout the project. Over the next few weeks, we’re excited to share all of the work we created in collaboration with the talented @hinakoomori 🤍 ༄ Named for the Japanese word for “wind”, the KAZE·風 exhibition brought to life a selection of onomatopoeias that describe the elusive, ever-shifting character of the wind. The five sculptural works presented in this exhibition embodied a diverse array of winds, from a tranquil breeze to a howling squall. To produce fluid forms reminiscent of each wind, black Sumi-e 墨絵 ink was methodically dropped into a basin of water and blown to produce elaborate ripples and swirls of ink. Each intricate Suminagashi 墨流し pattern was captured on rice paper and digitally collaged. These compositions were then translated into mixed-media sculptures using a variety of fabrication techniques, including laser cutting, CNC machining, and FDM and SLA 3D printing. Paired with each sculpture was its considered sonic interpretation, composed by @hinakoomori . Using a single synthesizer, distinctive notes and harmonic intervals were combined to convey the spatial scale, tempo, and relative site of each wind. The surrounding windscape—composed from a field recording in the Epping Forest—was interwoven with synthesizer recordings and gently murmured onomatopoeias. These works were showcased in a designed exhibition space with vinyl graphics, custom glyphs and accompanied by a risographed zine serving as a poetic and informational exhibition guide. ༄ Art & Design: Emi Takahashi & @michelllekuan Sound Design: @hinakoomori Suminagashi & Collage: Emi Takahashi Exhibited at @galeriemymonkey in Nancy, France, 30.11.23 – 29.02.24 We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. ༄ (ID in comments)

and @michelllekuan : Last spring, we had the immense pleasure of working with artist and dear friend @akashinbakumar to create a pamphlet and film titles to accompany their solo exhibition, Era of the Moon: Phases. “Era of the Moon: Phases connects the body to the cyclical nature of the moon and its tidal lock to the earth. Looking up to the celestial body we see its phases through the dark and light chasing one another. Through textile exploration, Akash honours the internal dance between these two polarities and investigates the potency of the in-between.” The design takes its inspiration from Akash’s woven textiles and rich visual references, from the coiling form of a centipede to the cyclical phases of the moon. The blue and teal risograph print showcases Akash’s indigo-dyed artwork on the front and stills of their artistic process on the back. When held aloft, light pierces through the hole-punched lunar glyphs, which dance across the poster, echoing the exhibition’s choreographed performance. ◐ ◯ ◑ Artwork: @akashinbakumar Film: @royadelsol Graphic Design: Michelle Kuan, Emi Takahashi Typefaces: Pirelli Light by @jung_lee_type_foundry , Orchard Linear by @rorykingetc , 5Dotmatrix 1979 by Noah Ross Process Photos: Shaza Tarig Elnour, Akash Inbakumar, Emi Takahashi Scans & Animation: Emi Takahashi Printing: @colourcodeprint Project funded by @canada.council ◐ ◯ ◑ (ID in comments)