The Paradox of Theseus:
A Science Fantasy Story
The Paradox of Theseus is a visual development portfolio combining high fantasy and science fiction. The story follows the journey of Theseus, the cyborg, and his partner Astraeus, the alien after crash landing into a fantasy universe. Coming from a dystopian future, the duo is encouraged to conform to their new surroundings and aid the realm's citizens. Throughout the journey, the two are challenged by the civilians they encounter and the overarching threat of an extraterrestrial invasion. The Paradox of Theseus began as a world-building exercise inspired by Mike Mignola, Jesper Ejsing, and Even Admunson. The portfolio showcases the artist’s composition, rendering, and visual narrative skills by curating detailed illustration, character, and environmental design.
During its creation, the story of Theseus and the Alien evolved along with the artist’s interests in science fiction and fantasy. Sci-fi is based on the speculation of futuristic concepts, while fantasy embodies the hero’s journey with supernatural elements. At the same time, the artist draws philosophy from the Paradox of the Ship of Theseus, as the cyborg’s character development involves the change of his environment, personality, and physical body. Would he be the same man if he had all of these components replaced? Overall, she envisioned creating illustrations that people would see in a concept art book for further exploration. This action sci-fi fantasy adventure has the potential to be adapted into a multitude of media and publications, which broadens the scope of her audience.
The Paradox of Theseus is a testament to the years of research and design that the artist has fulfilled. The work has overarching philosophies about technology, the human condition, and introspection, while the message is grounded in the sanctity of friendship and personal growth through adversity. The characters of Theseus and Astraeus are the beginning of the ever-growing narrative of her world-building project, which can branch out into never-ending narrative potentials.
The Paradox of Theseus Visual Development
Artist Statement
Renee’s visual development portfolio combines traditional fantasy art and science fiction aesthetics. Her diverse approach to character design and narrative illustration broadens the scope of her audience, inviting them to enjoy a classic fantasy adventure with science-fiction story conventions. Renee’s illustrations have an overarching narrative that focuses on a cyborg’s experience, exploring the inner machinations of one’s mind and the challenges one must overcome to reach their final destination. A collection of science fiction, speculative biology, and classic Tolkien fantasy inspires the structure of Renee’s work. In addition, she bases her philosophy on religion, the human condition, and the Paradox of The Ship of Theseus. Above all, her work is rooted in the importance of friendship and personal growth through adversity.
The visual narratives she creates are inspired by Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, BlindSight by Peter Watts, and Humanity Lost by Callum Diggle. In addition, her aesthetic inspirations are based on the likeness of Even Amundson and Jesper Ejsing, fantasy artists that continue to inspire the artist’s technique as she progresses her portfolio. By studying the industry of science fantasy artists, Renee creates work that appeals to a broader audience that invites fantasy and science fiction fans to explore the worlds she cultivates in her illustrations.
Renee’s work captivates viewers with bold colors and invites them to view the story and think about the connections of technology, the human condition, and personal reflection. The science fantasy visual development portfolio begins her ever-growing world that will continue into her career as an illustrator. In the future, she aspires to join a creative team that aids in developing more extraordinary projects for publication and media. She plans to publish her portfolio into a world-building project that could branch into intricate storylines yet to be explored. In the meantime, her work explores the fantastic across genres. It aims to invoke emotion in her viewers by exploring the stylistically rendered world of her portfolio and the underlying philosophies behind each character she creates. The portfolio accomplishes to show the exponential growth of the artist throughout its development and the potential she has in the industry.