Communication Design School of Design
Xintong Jin
My name is Xintong Jin, also known as Lucy. I am an illustrator and animator whose work spans across illustration, comics, narrative storytelling, crafts, and various animation techniques. Deeply inspired by nature, I find beauty in the quiet details…sunlight filtering through leaves, the shifting greens of trees, and the peaceful rhythm of the natural world. Through my art, I hope to help others reconnect with nature and rediscover the quiet wonder it offers. For me, illustration and animation are ways of telling gentle stories that invite reflection, calm, and a return to what feels real and grounded. I hope my work can offer viewers a small breath of fresh air in a busy world.
Boys Holding Hands
This project was a collaboration with the renowned
Scottish poet Michael Pedersen, created to promote
his new book, The Cat Prince: & Other Poems. I was
assigned the poem Boys Holding Hands, in which
Pedersen delicately explores the tender emotions
of love and friendship shared between two friends.
In modern patriarchal society, not only do women still
face oppression, but toxic masculinity also impacts boys
and men. Emotions like crying or openly expressing
feelings are often labelled as signs of weakness.
However, the truth is that everyone has the right to
express their emotions and show love freely.
Through my animation, I aimed to visualise the love
and the connection I felt from the poem and share that
sentiment with the audience.
Please click the link to watch the film.
Project Links
Oran Mor, A Work in Progress
This project was a collaboration with the Alasdair Gray
Archive, to celebrate Alasdair’s 90th birthday. This
collaboration has given us the opportunity to animate
a music track from the documentary “Alasdair Gray:
A Life in Progress.” composed by Scott Twynholm.
The track I selected, “Oran Mor: A Working Progress,”
resonated with me the most. In it, Alasdair discusses
how he uses his work as a tool to revive people’s
memories from the past. Just like the title of the
documentary and the music track suggests, we inhabit
a dynamic world; nothing remains static forever. We are
always evolving, and continually progressing. We use
our work to keep these important people and memories
vividly alive forever.
Please click the link to watch the film.
Project Links
Shaping You
Doll making has been a part of my life since a very,
very young age. at different stages of my life, I had
different understandings of this action of mine.
It has always been a way for me to reconsider my
relationship with myself, and during the making process
of each doll, I reflect on myself, who I am, and who I
want to be? These were very personal moments, and
I am so excited to document and share them with the
audience through this animated documentary project.
I don’t know what people would get out of this, but I
hope it can inspire some more people to create and find
inner peace through creating.
I’m very happy that this project could be the grand
finale of my art school life, and the opening of a new
stage of my life.
Please click the link to watch the film.
Project Links
Shadow Talks
My essay explores the significance
of death education and its impact
on children within a media-saturated
society. It examines how various forms
of media, particularly video games
and films, shape children’s perceptions
of death. The paper raises concerns
about the trivialization of mortality
often present in media narratives and
the potential consequences of such
portrayals on children’s developing
understanding of life and death. It
also highlights the unique role of
picture books as gentle and accessible
tools for facilitating conversations
about death within families. Through
a critical analysis of these media
forms, the essay underscores the
importance of death education in
fostering emotional resilience and a
healthy relationship with the concept
of mortality. Furthermore, it reflects
on my own motivations as an illustrator
to contribute meaningfully to this
important and often overlooked area.
The inspiration for this essay stems
from my personal experience. As a
child, I vividly remember the fear I
felt when I first realized that human
life is finite. Although I have not yet
experienced the loss of a loved one, the
concept of death has long intrigued me,
an uneasy blend of curiosity and anxiety.
Growing up with this confusion, I
now hope to create a story for children
like my younger self, a story that took
me a very long time to understand.
Wh e n w e f i x a t e o n l y o n t h e
shadow that death casts, we lose
sight of the beauty that life offers.
But when we turn our gaze toward the
people and things we love, the fear of
death loses its power to harm us.
