This project explores motion graphics as a form of historical and cultural storytelling through mixed media processes. Developed for Feminist Frequency, the work narrates the lives of Ida B. Wells and Murasaki Shikibu using distinct yet conceptually connected visual approaches that emphasize materiality, research, and narrative intent.

For the Murasaki Shikibu piece, I employed a hybrid process combining hand drawing, vector illustration, physical fabrication, and animation. The central figure was drawn, vectorized, printed, and reintroduced into physical space as a shadow puppet, referencing pre cinematic storytelling traditions such as puppet theater. Illustrated elements were fabricated, filmed, and edited to construct an animated narrative that foregrounds movement, shadow, and tactility as expressive tools.

In contrast, the Ida B. Wells motion graphic utilized an exaggerated, layered paper collage aesthetic with a restrained color palette to center the strength and urgency of her story. Extensive research and archival photography informed the visual language, which relied on scale, texture, and composition rather than color complexity. All assets were animated and edited to create a cohesive narrative prior to final delivery.

Together, these works investigate how motion design can operate across analog and digital processes to interpret history. By varying material strategies while maintaining conceptual continuity, the project positions motion graphics as a site of critical inquiry where form, process, and content work together to amplify historically significant voices.