i want to clarify that i'm not really romanticizing this dynamic, it was kind of the whole point. 😓 the theme here isn't romance but rather delusion. i tried to make samarie unsettling and marina unusually cutesy to mimic samarie's POV to get that point across but i'm not sure if i was successful.
five short stories to appreciate from my archives!
l'espirit de l'escalier by catherynne m. valente - modern orpheus and eurydice retelling if orpheus succesfully bought eurydice back, but in a reaminated corpse state.
let's play dead by senaa ahmad - ahistorical anne boleyn getting murdered by henry viii only she seems to keep coming back to life.
fish (in 13 sections) by eric ozawa - a man post break-up contemplates the word fish. sometimes it's fun to read an absurd tale
the man who ended history: a documentary by ken liu - observational time travel used to reckon with japan's unit 731 and the atrocities committed there; a heartbreaking exploration of historiography through multimedia
story of your life by ted chiang - a linguist encounters aliens.
Two flowers from the same stem, never separated by life and death.
Embraced as one, in soul and dream. Where all Ghosts meet their end, only love endures.
This piece is a collaborative work between Love and Deepspace and the renowned Chinese ink artist Zhang Yu.
Behind the Poster Design:
Nether night descends. Two hearts entwined.
Zhang Yu is a renowned, contemporary Chinese ink artist whose work centers on ink on paper. In addition to her independent practice, her artistic activities also encompass exhibitions and a wide range of collaborations.
She has been an art director for numerous films including Deep Sea. She has also created opening sequences, posters, and key concept art for numerous well-known film and television projects, including The Wandering Earth, Ne Zha 2, A Writer's Odyssey 2, White Snake, Ponyo, and The Story of Ming Lan.
01 | Where did the initial inspiration for this poster come from?
When I received the invitation to create the poster, the first thing that came to mind was the inseparable bond between Miss Hunter and Caleb. It's a relationship so profound that it transcends the boundaries of life and death. It's not a simple love. It's an indivisible entanglement woven deep within. "We exist within each other. We're indistinguishable from each other."
Bingdi lotuses are the most fitting metaphor, where two flowers grow from the same stem. Although they appear to bloom independently, they are tightly intertwined, bound together by the same fate in life and death. By depicting these lotuses, I infused them with a more dynamic contrast. Caleb's lotus rises upward. More aggressive, it envelops all like a hellish flame to keep Ghosts at bay. Miss Hunter's lotus is submerged in water. Wet and soft, it channels the same nourishment into the roots.
Likewise, Caleb is the Lord who rules the Nether Realm and silences all ghosts. In this relationship, he sets aside his sharp edges for you to reveal a gentle side as he protects and satisfies his deepest, all-consuming love. That's how I perceive the emotional dynamic between you two. There is a mix of domination and submission, possession and utter devotion.
02 | Can you share some of your insights into the image's details?
Details convey emotion. With enigmatic Chinese elements serving as an aesthetic background, every element speaks to the nurturing entanglement of your love.
In the center, Caleb tightly embraces Miss Hunter. The jade beads on his wrist slowly melt and seep into her. They transform into clear dewdrops that eventually fall onto her petals. They are both dewdrops and nameless tears. It's impossible to tell who is crying for whom. This mirrors the silent devotion and protection within this love.
The entire composition is dominated by dark hues to evoke the shadowy Nether Realm teeming with Ghosts. Above, blazing flames burn with the intense, weighty grandeur of Dunhuang murals. Below, however, rest the delicate, melancholic lotuses floating in the water. Dewdrops are fragile yet pure, and they stand as a testament to your love. It's sincere and passionate. Even in the perpetual night, they rush toward each other when all Ghosts have disappeared.
The entanglement is more deeply embedded in the lotuses. The veins are intricately intertwined as if the lives of two people had quietly flowed into one in an embrace. Flesh and blood nourish the petals, and the petals are entangled with the blood. You are each other's sustenance. Bound in life and death, you sustain each other and remain inseparable. This is precisely the profound meaning between two flowers from the same stem. Two lotuses aren't blooming separately. Rather, they're inseparable lives, forever intertwined.
03 | We heard you experimented with several different compositions during the creative process. Could you share some of them with us?
Sure. I've drawn several drafts based on the theme of "mirrored fates."
Draft One: Hands Entwined
Two hands are tightly clasped together, and a lotus blooms from the palms of two figures. It conveys the depth of their emotions via a hand gesture.
Draft Two: The Moon and Sun Splendidly Shine
Caleb is the gloomy moon, and Miss Hunter is the warm sun. Separated by yin and yang, they gaze at each other and speak of their love.
Draft Three: Bingdi Lotus's Intertwined Overlap
The stem of the two lotuses grow from the same starting point. One goes up and the other goes down. Their petals intertwine and overlap. This also served as the draft for the final poster.
In the version that was ultimately chosen, all elements converge into a single moment. Unable to be separated—nor do they need to be—two lives are entangled throughout countless lifetimes.
A Message From Zhang Yu
Dear Miss Hunter:
Hello. While creating this poster, I was deeply moved several times by your destined love—two fates mirrored and bound together.
I think the "most touching love" in this world is like yours. You, driven by instincts, unwaveringly rush toward each other regardless of what fate brings.
The bond between you is more than just love. It's as if you've been an important part of each other's lives for a long time.
May this love transcend the Nether Realm and remain as passionate as ever. I hope it can endure for all eternity.
May bingdi lotus bloom forever, and may lovers be finally reunited.
tangentwithtanner
2087
andulkaphoto
theartofmadeline
prguitarman
