MELANY
BAO
3D Modeling
Drawings
Melany Bao is a 2025 BFA graduate in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts (SVA), currently based in New York as an illustrator and designer.
Her work delves into the interplay between psychology, biology, and human emotion, aiming to depict how mental health influences physical well-being.
melanybao.art@gmail.com
Golden Breath
This work explores the connection between the lungs and the emotion of grief, tied to the metal element in traditional Chinese medicine. Metal represents both strength and vulnerability, much like how grief can either refine or overwhelm the spirit. The use of metal in the lungs suggests a feeling of fragility amidst strength, highlighting how emotional turbulence impacts our physical well-being. The intertwined deer antlers symbolize vitality and nature’s resilience, contrasting with the delicate structure of the lungs, as the body and spirit are both tested by emotional strain.