Hello, I’m Ayuna — an animator and illustrator studying at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL.

Through this portfolio I want to show my creative flexibility, storytelling ability, artistic vision and technical skills.

I’m an artist with a love for visual storytelling and thoughtful details. Below is a list of my skills and creative tools — however, I’m always eager to learn new ones and adapt to different workflows.

My first animated short film, BLACK TULIP, tells the story of the friendship between two young women trying to survive in an eternal winter. The protagonist finds a magical black tulip that helps save her friend from death.

My task was to develop and produce an original short animated film, lasting about 1-2 minutes.

I created this story, drawing inspiration from kalmyk folklore—specifically the legend of a black tulip that grants wishes. I approached the task by exploring traditional culture through storytelling and visual imagery: by crafting a lively, emotional tale of friendship and hope, featuring characters who experience deep feelings and perform heroic deeds.

For the characters in this story, I chose two young women—a huntress and a beauty—who visually represent two sides of kalmyk culture. The huntress, our protagonist, survives through her agility and strength. Her friend, whom she seeks to save, embodies natural beauty; her hair is the color of the red tulips that grace the kalmyk steppes. Yet, the beauty of a flower is fragile and withers in the cold—the protagonist’s friend appears pale and drained of color.

This original animated short film continues to explore the theme of friendship, albeit in a different setting: a catholic convent, where the protagonist fights to preserve her individuality — a desire to learn to play the piano in a strict monastery where musical instruments are forbidden.

The idea for this story about two nuns came to me after I noticed a distinct lack of narratives set within a religious setting that focus on female characters. The story is inspired by my memories of learning musical pieces on a paper piano.

The female characters in my film reflect on what truly matters most to them.

I chose an artstyle that differs from Black Tulip — one that is softer and lacks outlines. The characters’ habits are simple in form, reminiscent of a bell. The two women differ in height: the musician is shorter and more square-shaped, while her friend is taller and more oval-shaped. The musician’s veil features sharp angles, reflecting her determination to stand up for her own interests, whereas her friend possesses a more reserved temperament.

However, the design was overly cluttered; the atmosphere and the spirit of the narrative changed, and consequently, the artistic style also underwent changes—becoming simpler, yet more realistic.