Re-covering Dante
When I was given the task of exploring Dante’s Inferno, I chose to reinterpret Hell through the lens of psychedelic horror—a surreal, haunting world that feels both chaotic and unreachable. My goal was to capture the torment Dante describes: the constant, painful reminder that Heaven is forever out of reach. This theme of longing and punishment echoes throughout the Divina Commedia, and I wanted it to shape the entire atmosphere of my design
The Thought Process
As I studied Dante’s vision of Hell, I focused on creating a central figure: someone terrifying enough to embody the fear and judgment that defines this realm. That figure became Minos: the monstrous judge of the damned who stands at the entrance to the Second Circle. He doesn’t just assign punishments, yet he represents the very idea of eternal consequence. His presence became the face of Hell in my concept.
Designing this world also meant thinking about structure. Dante’s Hell is made up of many layers, each one darker and more twisted than the last. These layers weren’t just symbolic, they guided the visual flow of my work, helping me build a descent that feels both overwhelming and hypnotic.