1. Home
  2. Artists

Chromodome Animation

to draw , movie , Audiovisual

I am fascinated by the way larger societal systems find their way into the most intimate, small moments between people. Driven by this fascination, I create animated films in which I connect personal stories to broader societal themes and issues. Being queer often takes center stage in these. Where personal experiences offer specificity, I find it important to conduct extensive research. Drawing on history, archives, literature, and conversations, I construct fictional worlds in which I explore how political, religious, or social systems leave their mark on everyday human experiences. Animation offers me the freedom not only to tell those stories but, above all, to make them felt. I believe that a strong image or a visual metaphor can sometimes evoke more than words alone. In this regard, animation is a unique medium, not only because you can draw anything you can imagine, but also because it does not have to bind itself to a fixed form. Therefore, for every project, I seek a technique in which the theme and the medium are strongly interconnected. This requires a great deal of collaboration for my practice. The search for the right form for each new project requires me to converse with different types of makers from various disciplines and ensures that I constantly continue learning from the makers I bring on board. The worlds in my films exist between the everyday and the dreamlike. I draw inspiration from history, folklore, and nature, and build worlds where realism and imagination coexist. Even when my stories touch upon sensitive themes, I look for room for humor, playfulness, and wonder. There is ample room for this within animation. This lighthearted approach is important to me because it keeps characters human and creates space for nuance, empathy, and recognition.

Insha'Allah (2026)
Insha'Allah (2026) - Insha'Allah is a hybrid short animated film created as part of Ultrakort. The film follows Samir (8), who makes eye contact with his neighbor Tommie (8) during his evening prayer. His thoughts wander and we join Samir in a strange but warm world where the boundaries between a first crush and his love for God blur. The film combines hand-drawn 2D animation with woven textile animation and backgrounds. This mixed-media approach was made possible through collaboration with Textiellab Tilburg. When Samir gets lost in thought, we dive with him into his woven prayer mat. There we discover a special, tactile world made of fabric. I found it interesting to translate 2D animation into textile, so that I could make the texture of the mat on which Samir presses his forehead palpable. This gives the viewer the opportunity to imagine the physical sensation of the prayer ritual. In Islam, the prayer mat functions as a boundary—a temenos—that creates a spiritual and safe space for the prayer performer. In the film, we show how this space of Samir takes shape; what does it look like when his feelings of love and his love for God intersect? To shape Samir’s fantasy, I drew inspiration from the decorative designs of Anatolian and Moroccan (particularly Rabat) prayer rugs. The floral and tree patterns, which frequently recur in these rugs, symbolize eternity and immortal life; the geometric forms lead back to God’s perfection.
Mr. Sun & Miss Universe (2025)
Mr. Sun & Miss Universe (2025) Mr. Sun & Miss Universe was my thesis film for the animation bachelor’s degree at the WDKA and was made possible in part by support from the Keep an Eye Foundation. The film follows the flamboyant superstar Mr. Sun, who discovers one evening that his shiny golden locks are starting to fall out. An existential crisis ensues, and he embarks on a journey through the cosmos in which, with the help of Miss Universe, he re-evaluates his relationship with transience. This film stemmed from my own insecurities and musings surrounding aging. By having a self-satisfied, satirical version of a superstar suffer the same fate of premature balding, I attempted to portray these musings in a playful, humorous, and dreamy manner. Who knows, perhaps there is something beautiful to be found in the wrinkles and falling hair that the years bring? Mr. Sun's exuberance is deliberately reflected in the film's saturated, contrasting color palette. The mix of predominantly purple, yellow, and orange hues gives his world a slightly alienating, almost surreal nature from the outset and foreshadows the magical journey he will undertake. At the same time, the colors reflect Mr. Sun’s intense emotional experience (of going bald). As the film progresses, the colors become increasingly intense, until they culminate in a psychedelic explosion in the climax—a kind of ego death.

Insha'Allah

Date:
Location: Rotterdam, Tilburg
In association with: Het Nederlands Filmfonds, TextielLab Tilburg, VUE, NFO

Insha'allah is a hybrid animated film in which 2D animation and textile backgrounds are combined.
When Samir (8) makes eye contact with his neighbor Tommie during evening prayer, his thoughts wander and he dives into a strange but warm world where the boundaries between a first love and his love for God blur. This film was made as part of Ultrakort, a collaboration between the Netherlands Film Fund, NFO & VUe

This artist has no awards yet.