Earthquakes are among the most unpredictable and destructive forces of nature, shaking not only the ground but also human belief systems. Across cultures, mythologies have personified these tremors as colossal creatures—serpents, bulls, turtles, or unseen spirits—transforming an invisible catastrophe into something tangible, something storied. These mythical beings are more than just superstition; they are vessels of cultural memory, encoding each society’s fears, reverence for nature, and attempts to make sense of chaos.

In Mythical Animals of Earthquake, I reconstruct these legendary creatures from Taiwan, Mongolia, Japan, Siberia, and Chile, reinterpreting them through 3D illustration. By doing so, I explore how digital media can bridge ancient oral traditions with contemporary visual storytelling, preserving narratives that might otherwise fade in an age of scientific rationalism. My work does not seek to replace these myths with empirical explanations but rather to highlight their enduring significance—how they continue to shape cultural identity and the way we perceive natural disasters.

What fascinates me is the intersection of the visible and the invisible. Earthquakes are forces that elude the human gaze, yet myth transforms them into creatures we can visualize, name, and narrate. Through digital rendering, I attempt to reactivate these symbolic beings, allowing them to move beyond their textual and oral origins into a realm where they can be seen, questioned, and reimagined.

At a time when climate change and environmental instability provoke renewed anxieties about nature’s unpredictability, these ancient myths take on new relevance. By reanimating them in a digital space, I invite viewers to reconsider how different cultures have historically coped with catastrophe—and how these stories, though rooted in the past, still offer insight into our present and future.