Aurum's Embers
School: MSA University
Artwork 1 - Origin: Crow is discovered as a baby on a small boat by Osh, along with a letter and a ring, after being thrown into the sea by her mother. This axis shows the conception of the main event that fueled Crow’s journey of self-discovery and the beginning of her great story. The hands represent the sea bringing baby Crow onto the island, where she is later adopted by Osh. This positions Crow as a sort of gift given from the sea.
Artwork 2 - Enlightenment: Crow discovers a fire on Penikese Island (the island that she presumably came from) that makes her want to seek her origins. This fire, which she discovers one night through her spyglass, is the main fuel that makes Crow question her origins and ask, “Who am I?” The fire takes the shape of Crow’s body; it is as though she and the fire are one and the same.
Artwork 3 - Journey: Crow, Osh, and Miss Maggie go to Penikese Island, where they discover the leper graveyard with a tombstone marked with the name “Morgan” and a lamb carving, along with the introduction of the novel’s villain, Mr. James Kendall. The star/shine represents the truth. When encountering the grave, the truth gets closer and closer, as it is later revealed that the grave contains the treasure Crow’s mother left for her. That treasure is what makes Mr. James Kendall (the treasure-hunting villain of the novel) interested in the grave.
Artwork 4 - Hope: During Crow’s journey to New Bedford, she looks for and discovers a boy on a schooner named Shearwater who looks just like her and suspects that he may be her brother, Jason. Later, it is found out that the boy is not her brother. Both characters (Crow and her supposed brother) try to reach for the star (the truth) at the same time; yet neither fully touches it, symbolizing that the truth may not be present yet or that there is more to it. The boy is represented as a faraway object with a dissolving body, symbolizing something imaginary or unclear.
Artwork 5 - The Truth (?): The third time Crow, Osh, and Miss Maggie go to Penikese Island, they discover the treasure/inheritance that Crow’s mother left for her and her brother. It is at this moment that the truth about Crow’s origins starts to come out. As Crow discovers her mother’s inheritance, she is confused. Is this the truth she was looking for? Why did her mother leave this for her? Where is her brother so she can give him his share? As such, Crow is visualized as being “stuck” in the gold coin, as if she is stuck in her own thoughts.
Artwork 6 - Verdict: Crow finally accepts herself, her origins, and the people around her. While she may not have found her brother and her parents turned out to be dead, Crow finally understands that her origins, while important, do not mean that she cannot accept her current self and her adoptive family that took her in and raised her. She has discovered her truth and went back to her origins in her own way. The water hands that carried baby Crow in Artwork 1 are the same hands that she sits in, symbolizing Crow returning to her origins. Moreover, the star (the truth) dangles over her head as she tries to reach for it. While part of it touches Crow, it is still not in her hands, symbolizing that while she has found part of the truth, it is still not all supposed to be known.
Book cover & pages
Novel poster
Social cause poster
Website
Mobile app
Artist book
Postcards
Brochure
Stickers
Description
Project Concept:
The project focuses on illustrating the middle-grade novel Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk under the social cause “existential inquiry.” Existential inquiry is the process of questioning one’s existence, identity, origins, and reality. The questioning process is not necessarily in order to grow as a person, but rather to live authentically in one’s skin. The main concept speaks of existential inquiry through seeking to know one’s origins and beginnings to have peace of mind and achieve self-acceptance. Without biological origins, one aims to question their identity. By discovering one's origins and roots, they aim to understand their situation and belong in their community, rather than simply to find the answer to all their questions. Thus resulting in protecting one's sense of self and living freely and harmoniously in society.
Novel (Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk):
“Beyond the Bright Sea” is a middle-grade novel that tells the story of a 12-year-old orphaned girl named Crow, who was thrown into the ocean on a small boat and washed up on a nearby island as a baby. Her only companions are Osh, the man who rescued her, and Miss Maggie, their fierce neighbor. As Crow grows up, she wants to understand more about her identity, her origins, and why she is treated differently in her community. It is not until she discovers a fire on the island that she presumably came from that she embarks on a journey, along with her two guardians, to discover the truth. In the end, Crow learns about her parents, her brother, her inheritance, and her story. This leads to her finally accepting herself, her community, and what it truly means to be a family.
This student campaign titled 'Aurum's Embers' was published in Egypt in July, 2026. It was created by ad school: MSA University. This Design, Digital, and Print media campaign contains 15 media assets. It was submitted about 24 hours ago by Graphics & Media Arts Graduate: Shahd Gomaa.
Credits
Unit Supervisors:
Prof. Tamer Assem
A.L. Marwa Hamed
A.L. Rewan Abdelgalil
T.A. Jana Khaled
