Cruelty is a blind box collectible art series that explores the often-overlooked struggles faced by visual artists from the 1930s to the 1960s. Each character represents a real artist from that era, individuals who pushed boundaries and endured hardship to express raw truths through their art. Inspired by Mythological Japan and The Symbolisms of Mythology in Relation to Japanese Art, this project reflects how deep cultural beliefs and mythologies can shape artistic identity and expression.

The figures are designed to embody the essence of each artist, highlighting their personal symbols, iconic clothing, and tools of expression, rooted in the design approach from Character Design from Life Drawing. When developing this series, I was reminded of Antonin Artaud, whose Theatre of Cruelty I first learned about in high school. His plays left a strong impression on me, and I thought he would be a powerful character to include in this series. Like Artaud’s approach to confronting audiences with chaos, fear, and instinct, Cruelty draws on similar emotional depth. It captures both the vulnerability and strength of artists who dared to reveal uncomfortable truths. Cruelty is not just about the pain of creation, but also about the beauty and bravery of choosing to create regardless. Through this project, I also learned how to design professional blind boxes and communicate my ideas to packaging designers who helped me produce the boxes.