This project is an exploration of materiality and digital craftsmanship, created using Autodesk Maya. My goal was to bring a tactile, physical object into a digital realm while preserving its unique textures, movement, and interactive qualities. To do this, I set myself the challenge of recreating one of my handmade fabric sculptures—objects I call ‘Mossys.’
Original soft sculpture artwork
Each Mossy is a small, soft sculpture featuring original photography printed on satin, carefully sewn into a pillow-like form with hand-stitched embroidery. These objects are not only visual but also interactive: embedded within each one is a sound component that activates when squeezed, creating a sensory interplay between touch and audio. Translating this multisensory experience into a 3D-rendered environment required careful attention to surface detail, lighting, and material properties to capture the sheen and suppleness of the fabric.
Soft sculpture view used for modelling reference
3D model of object
This digital recreation became an exercise in both technical precision and artistic interpretation, pushing the limits of how we experience and perceive softness and tactility in virtual spaces. The work was recognised with an Honourable Mention in the Arts Mildura Small Sculpture Prize in 2019.
For more details, visit gracekingston.com/portfolio/small-works-prize-arts-mildura/.
Installation view at Arts Mildura
