Tomas Rodriguez (he/him)
I am a graphic design artist from the Bay Area. I specialize in illustrations, packaging, & 3D artistry. As I moved around most of my life, it was hard for me to feel at home because I didn’t really know where my roots were. Art was a part of every step of my life. Through film, games, and art, I was able to create feelings that made me sense like I belong somewhere. Design can also be something that takes people away from their realities. Traveling through waves of sentiment to a destination they can’t step foot in. A place that lives in their heads; a memory, a feeling, something beyond the physical.
99 Transcend
The main question I explored when creating my thesis project was how can I take people out of reality during these stressful times? These past few years have been a hectic mess and not many people have gotten the chance to calm down with terrible events happening back to back. Luckily there are places we can always visit. Every time we see something from our past, it triggers a memory and an emotion. 99 Transcend is a 3D animated short with a soundtrack. This animation follows me traveling through nostalgic places from my past that came from films, shows, and games. I often find myself reminiscing on things I loved growing up so when I see it, I’m reminded of that feeling. Maybe you’ll be able to recognize a setting, sound, object, or overall aesthetic. More importantly, maybe you’ll be able to be taken to somewhere that isn’t here.