Urbanalia is a non-narrative film that twists photographed urban textures into surreal 3D landscapes.

A reflection on the absurdity of pandemic-era cities - a time when our built environments were forced into emptiness, and public spaces temporarily lost their meaning due to events outside of our control. 

When the pandemic forced the world into a standstill, I spent a lot of time wandering around my empty city of Oakland, California, photographing the urban landscape. I was struck by the absurdity of an environment that was meant for industry, commerce, and transportation - and yet could be used for none of that. 

My photos and observations became the inspiration for Urbanalia. The gritty textures, street art, and grunge of the photos served as the basis for materials that were mapped onto surreal 3D geometry and rendered with uncanny lighting to create a non-narrative mood piece that reinterprets the eerie early days of the Covid landscape.