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Surreal Gifs Playfully Visualize Exploring Our Inner Minds

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Gifs typically last just a few seconds, but they can tell an entire story within a brief moment. Artist Agatha Yu creates surreal gifs that visualize adventures and a childhood sense of imagination. Yu grew up in Australia, but spent part of her childhood in Japan and Hong Kong. Her varied, early life experiences shine through in her work as an adult, revealing her understanding for the human experience.

Rendered in her distinct, 3D pixelated style, each gif is simple, yet full of poetic depth. Some gifs explore two contrasting worlds, where the main character seems to be able to open up portals into alternative, fantastical realities. Yu tells My Modern Met, “They are mostly inspired by how I feel about our inner world in our creative minds.”

Yu’s use of color further visualizes the contrast between our inner and outer worlds. In one gif, the scene begins in a dark purple hue, as if the character is walking around at night. Then, a spotlight turns on from above, revealing a candy-pink landscape filled with surreal, biomorphic shapes.

Check out Yu’s gifs below and find more from her portfolio on her website and Instagram.

Artist Agatha Yu creates surreal gifs that visualize fantastical adventures and childhood imagination.

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Rendered in her distinct, 3D pixelated style, each gif is simple, yet full of poetic depth.

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Surreal Gifs by Agatha Yu

Agatha Yu: Website | Instagram | Twitter

My Modern Met granted permission to feature images by Agatha Yu.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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