Curatorial notes
Editor: Here we have a digital portrait of D.Va, seemingly a contemporary fantasy illustration by Stanley Artgerm Lau. It's strikingly colourful, but I sense a subdued calmness in the character's expression, contrasting with the hi-tech suit. What's your take on this piece? Curator: Ah, D.Va! Looking at her is like catching a pixelated dream. I am pulled in by the soft light on her face, juxtaposed against the hard lines of her armor; that wink of playful defiance. The bubblegum pinks and electric blues…they speak of a future imagined through a vintage filter, wouldn’t you say? Makes you wonder what kind of battles she's seen to carry such poise. Editor: I hadn't thought about that tension between past and future. Her gear seems almost a playful caricature, not purely functional. Curator: Exactly! There's a self-awareness, a winking acknowledgment of artifice that makes it so very contemporary. What do you think that knowing smile suggests about her power? Editor: That maybe she is not just a warrior but is in on the whole story? Curator: Precisely. And what’s this character design really saying about who *we* are? Does she present how we imagine ourselves: resilient, capable, *cute*, even in the face of chaos? Food for thought! I think I like her mischievous smile the most... Editor: This has been really insightful! I'll definitely look at character portraits differently now, thinking about what fantasies they fulfil and stories they tell about us.
