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This collection represents a decade of artistic exploration and growth. Each piece reflects different techniques, experimentation and captures my journey as an artist.
Sacred Forms: A Study in Symmetry
I became fascinated with sacred geometry which is the idea that everything in nature, from the smallest molecular structures to the vastness of space, follows specific geometric patterns or formulas. These patterns like the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence reflect how the universe is designed. I love how everything is both mathematically and spiritually connected. This inspired me to make this series.
Majestic Elephants
My mother has lots of elephant statues and paintings in her house. She loves elephants and I’ve always found them to be majestic creatures. Seeing them inspired me to create a drawing of an elephant using vibrant colors.
Organic Rhythms
This series continues my fascination with textures and the natural world, drawing inspiration from elements like floral patterns and fish scales. Each piece balances symmetry with vibrant and modern designs.
Apple iOS Satire
A critique of procrastination using Apple iOS inspired UI to question how we handle life’s challenges: do we confront them or keep postponing the inevitable?
Watermelons
A minimalist series featuring watermelons where the black seeds resemble tears. It’s colorful melancholy.
Human Anatomy
This series reimagines the human form with minimalist sensual interpretations.
Manga
I’ve always love creating stories and reading manga, so one day, I thought, “Why not make my own manga just for fun?” It was a way for me to experiment creatively and try something new. Coming up with a story and putting it together was a purely fun and personal project and a chance to explore new ideas in a different direction. I only ended up creating one chapter but trying something like this was a lot of fun.
Game Development: RPG Simulator
The first video game I ever created was a Life Simulator RPG for web browsers. While I was excited to bring my ideas to life, I eventually stopped because developing for web browsers proved to be too ambitious, not practical or feasible. Implementing all the ideas I envisioned was a challenge but the experience was an invaluable learning opportunity. It marked a significant first step in my journey into game development, teaching me about creating UI, iterating prototypes and experimenting with different concepts.
I do still have the code and everything. Maybe one day I’ll bring back the idea and even better.
Walkway, Google Chrome Extension
Walkway is a project I began just before the pandemic in March 2020. The concept was to create a Google Chrome extension that would display beautiful photographs of El Salvador every time users opened a new tab on their web browser. It was visually captivating and also served as an educational tool, allowing users to learn more about each location featured in the images.
I viewed this as a manageable project, smaller than a video game or a full-fledged app but still big enough to challenge my creativity and showcase my passion for design. During development, I collaborated with over 60 talented Salvadoran artists, curating their work to feature in the extension. This process involved extensive research, reaching out to artists, convincing them to participate and navigating the ups and downs of cold emailing. Some artists declined, others didn’t respond but many were eager to contribute. This experience helped me develop valuable skills in communication, marketing and managing relationships.
I designed the entire UI and software while working alongside a team of two developers to bring the project to life. Walkway has been live for over four years with more than 750 daily users.
The extension allows users to download images, customize the UI and even view a yearly countdown feature. Walkway reflects my love for design, collaboration and promoting Salvadoran culture. I have plans to expand this project into an app and I’ve already developed designs but time will tell what the future holds.
Game Development: Blackout, Text-Based RPG
Before starting my master’s degree in game development, I decided to download the game engine called Unity and learn the basics through YouTube tutorials.
Eventually, I challenged myself to make a game and that’s when I created Blackout, a text-based RPG. Inspired by the text adventures of the 1970s, Blackout lets players type directions like “go east” or “go west,” read descriptive passages about each area, and discover items or secrets. Thankfully with modern technology, I enhanced the formula by adding sound effects, visuals and other engaging features to make the experience more immersive.
It took me six months to develop and while I never released it on Steam, I do have a playable demo. I’ve considered uploading it to platforms like itch.io or maybe even Steam someday. Creating Blackout was an incredible learning experience and a significant step forward in my journey as a game developer.
Designing a House for Blackout
For my video game Blackout, I had to create a space that felt real. The entire game played within a house where the player experiences a blackout during a rainstorm. I needed to design this environment from scratch so, I began by sketching out the layout of the house—thinking about where the kitchen, bedrooms, backyard, garage and other rooms would be. I found myself being an architect, building a house from the ground up.
Since there were no limits within the game, I thought, “Why not create my dream house?” With unlimited creativity and resources, I imagined a home that blends tropical and Japanese aesthetics with a minimalist design. It’s something I could see myself living in one day and if the opportunity ever arises, I’d build this house for my future family.
Memento Mori
“Memento mori” is a Latin phrase that translates to “remember you must die” or “remember your mortality.” I thought a lot about death after my dog passed away and the idea that we eventually turn to dust. My illustrations explore this cycle using skeletons to represent the essence of humanity beneath the surface and the shared fragility and impermanence of existence. I focus on the raw universal truths that connect us.
In my hands, Ink on Canvas (2021)
This artwork serves as a deeply personal reflection on the complexities of existence, encapsulating themes of self-control, temptation, morality and inner turmoil. At the center is a fractured skull with chaotic thoughts, simultaneously beautiful and horrendous. A serpent emerges from the mouth, embodying sin while pursuing a rat trapped in the relentless race of life chasing a block of cheese, representing money.
Above, the white dove of the Holy Spirit soars, signifying the yearning for purity and redemption, yet its positioning reflects an eternal chase, a reminder of our human flaws. Two characters, one dark and one light embody the conscience. Written on the hand “Cut here, Attention and Morgue” confronts the choice of life and death. Despite the chaos and despair, giving up is never an option.
Life is a rollercoaster, Ink on Canvas (2021)
This piece represents the ‘rollercoaster of life’. At the forefront is a human sitting next to Death, cloaked in his black hoodie. Behind them, a series of skeletons embody the diverse experiences of souls navigating life.
One skeleton is terrified, gripping his face in fear while another is overcome and throwing up from the ride. A couple behind them shares a kiss, symbolizing love and romance that endures ‘until death do them part.’ Behind the couple, a skeleton leaps from the rollercoaster, unable to bear the ride any longer, while onlookers watch laughing and taking pictures.
Among them, a fallen skeleton attempts to climb back onto the ride aided by another who reaches out to pull them up. Below, a skeleton falls to the bottom, representing those with no way of returning.
Finally, in the distant back, a single skeleton sits calmly, choosing to embrace and enjoy the wild ride of life.
My heart is yours, Ink on Canvas (2021)
This artwork depicts a hand holding chopsticks, grasping a beating heart between them. The heart symbolizes love, vulnerability and the act of willingly offering one’s innermost self to someone else.
It speaks about the profound act of giving your heart to the love of your life, a gesture filled with hope, trust and shadowed by uncertainty. Choosing the one person to share your life with is an act of immense significance, as it carries the possibility of both profound joy and deep sorrowful heartbreak.
Less Ego, More Soul, Ink on Canvas (2024)
This artwork features a red sun crying a black tear symbolizing that even the brightest, most radiant people can still experience pain.
Game Development: Abyss
Abyss is the most ambitious project I’ve ever undertaken and for the past three and a half years, during my free time, it has been my passion and focus. Developed in Unity, Abyss is a deeply personal video game about a young boy who embarks on a journey to the very bottom of his heart in the hopes of seeing his deceased dog one last time.
The story is inspired by my own experience of losing my dog, Wolfie. It is a way for me to process grief, express my emotions and explore just how far my mind can take me. Whether a pet, a family member or a friend, death is something we all face and through Abyss, I aim to create a space where players can reflect, understand and find meaning in those moments of loss.
This game is a first-person, hybrid RPG, blending shooting with role-playing mechanics. It’s been a long journey of development and I’m excited to share more about it in the coming weeks as I approach the demos release Q1 2025. Abyss represents years of hard work and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it.
This website was created by Edward Ota to establish a space that celebrates creativity through digital experiences & contributes to Salvadoran culture.
