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Ophelia’s Tragic Sinking Act, Reimagined in Contemporary Animation

Feel the swirling sense of loss in Sharon Liu’s video.
GIFs by the author, via

Inspired by the 1851 painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais, a graceful, undulating short by animator Sharon Liu portrays Shakespeare's famous character in modern-day abyss of teal and soft touches of lavendar. The video project titled Ophelia 2.0 was created with The Bard's classic Hamlet in mind, while providing a suitable subject matter for Liu's uniquely "wash" animation style. Her expertise lies in drawings by hand, watercolor and oil paintings, as well as rotoscoping.

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While watching the animated snippet, a viewer is forced to confront Ophelia's underwater fate, with hair fanning out upon the water's surface. Similar to Everett Millais's painting, the short romanticizes the tragic end of Ophelia's story giving it room to breathe and exist in new and digital way. Then again, Shakespeare was an artist and wordsmith, able to color a miserable demise with a prolific amount of lyricism.

Take a look at the short preview, and then await the full film, Ophelia 2.0, with the video below:

See more animation and artwork from Sharon Liu on her website, here.

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