Zamira Tennie
Honoré and the Owl
My project is a narrative-driven three-dimensional gamified sculptural play experience based on an original short story. Players follow Honoré as she struggles to break free from "the curse of caution," the product of generational trauma in a Black American family, resulting in protective but limiting behaviors designed to ensure survival. The effect is often the muting of a story that was meant to be grand—and still can be, once the curse is recognized and confronted. Through guidance from her companion owl, Lona, Honoré learns to confront her fears, recognize the patterns that have entrapped the people around her, and explore the origins of her family’s struggles.
Mini-games, interactive pieces, and narrative illustrations and writings convey ideas and allow players to interact with and experience the story in a tactile manner. For players from the middle grades and above, the game offers an opportunity both to play and to reflect. It encourages them to confront their own limitations and to understand themselves and those that came before them in a nonlinear and naturalistic way. It enables them to challenge these limitations together with Honoré through an exploration and visualization of themes relating to generational trauma, survival mode, healing, ancestral knowledge, and knowledge transmission.
Materials: Plywood, acrylic paint, mulberry paper, cardstock, Plexiglass, metal
