“Agape 2026” is finally ready, and will be released on 23rd February on my Bandcamp page.
Vera and I had such a great time sharing the creative process with you all… Not to mention how bittersweet and nostalgic it was to re-tell you our story, and how we grew together as both humans and artists.
It's now time to give you the last piece of the puzzle: the visual art for the release of our beloved single.
This photo-manipulation was put together by yours truly, with the intention to re-tell the story hidden within the lyrics of the song.
The meaning and rationale
A lost soul, feeling small and directionless in a boundless desert, as a symbol of a life without meaning or truth. It is only through meaningless human interaction that a tiny and stray soul can become a giant of light; for one can spend a century looking for the truth within, only to discover it in someone else, maybe in plain sight.
As the hand of this ascended being reaches for the light, it's surrounded by flowers in the shades of orange and pink, as a nod to Buddhism and the chakras:
• Orange = Solar Plexus Chakra = Strength, Personality, Power, Determination.
• Pink = Crown Chakra = Knowledge, Consciousness, Fulfillment, Spirituality.
Behind the scenes
This highly-conceptual photo-manipulation project has gone through several iteration steps. Here's a look at the first draft. As you can see, the font was less readable, the colours were less vibrant, and the overall composition was still finding its way. You can also spy some extra ideas in the layers panel: for example, the original concept involved an eye (as a window on the soul) instead of the lost soul in the desert.
Bouncing between Photoshop, Lightroom Classic and Illustrator, the final result is a sum of matte painting, photo collage and typography layout.
There is no generative AI involved, and all stock pictures were sourced from Pexels and Unsplash. Here is a sneak peek at the source materials:
See you on 23rd February on my Bandcamp page for the official release, which will include an English version, an Italian version, and an instrumental version of the song, together with a high-quality download of the visual art I told you about today.