This series of illustrations is based on the Divine Comedy, which recounts Dante's own journey through Hell and Purgatory, as well as Paradise, and depicts what happens to people after they die with the rewards and punishments of divine justice. While reading the book, I had the idea to recreate characters and scenes from the story, so I drew on the plot of the book for my final project. Dante's Inferno was originally set in medieval Italy but in my design, all the architecture and costumes were inspired by and referenced to ancient China. Thus, it shows the unique aesthetic value of ancient China's architecture, costumes, and natural landscapes. For many viewers, the setting of ancient China may be new and unfamiliar. However, setting the story in this context can provide a novel experience, different from the common Western medieval or modern urban settings, and I hope that my work will help more people to realize that China in that era had rich cultural and historical resources.
