Everything Outside Yourself: Translucence of Existence

"Translucence of Existence" is a digital sculpture that explores themes of fragility, impermanence, and the unseen layers of life. Created in Blender, this glass-rendered animal skull serves as a metaphor for the delicate balance between life and decay, presence and absence.

Glass, as a medium, is both resilient and fragile—much like the natural world it represents. The skull, a symbol of mortality and memory, becomes something ethereal when rendered in glass, shifting between tangible and spectral. This piece challenges the viewer to consider what remains once the physical form has dissolved, reflecting on the traces we leave behind. A crucial aspect of this work was the meticulous study of light and refraction. Glass in 3D space is uniquely challenging—it doesn’t simply exist but must interact with its surroundings in a way that mimics reality. Lighting had to be precisely orchestrated to allow the refractions, reflections, and caustics to behave naturally, revealing the skull’s structure while maintaining its spectral quality. Each light source, angle, and intensity played a role in shaping the way the skull appears—sometimes solid, sometimes nearly invisible. Beyond technical exploration, Translucence of Existence is an inquiry into perception itself. What do we truly see when we look at something transparent? How does light, or its absence, define form?