Central Saint Martin
Perception
Overview
An experimental motion piece explores identity and global migration using a generative swarm of hand-painted butterflies. It combines data-driven storytelling, handcrafted textures, and precise animation to visualise the tension between nationality, belonging, and global citizenship.
Tech Stack
After Effects
Premiere
Illustrator
Audition
Paper Craft
Concept
Butterflies as nationality
Inspired by monarch butterflies' migration, each piece represents a nationality with wings painted in national flags. Using data from the Migration Policy Institute, it illustrates
that our identity is shaped by where we move, not where we're born.
The Craft
Painted by hand, grounded in space
Each butterfly began on paper, painted by hand to preserve tactile authenticity, then scanned and mapped onto digital assets to build a scalable motion system.
3D displacement and shadow techniques in After Effects added physical weight to the butterflies, with multiple iterations refining depth and lighting for a present feel.
Motion System
Choreographed Chaos
Each flight path was manually key framed to suggest organic movement, then synchronised with a composed soundscape so the swarm breathes in rhythm with the audio. Wing motion studies iterated until the timing read as biologically real.
