University of Arizona
College of Fine Arts - School of Art

BFA Capstone

Vivian Nguyen

Whilst combining my love for history and stories, I decided to illustrate three dust jacket covers loosely inspired by the relationship between Marc Antony, his wife Octavia, and Cleopatra. One of my biggest inspirations come from the art style in Korean manhwas and the rofan (romance-fantasy) genre, and I wanted to express that through these three illustrations. The first cover depicts the wedding day of Marc and Octavia, with both looking somber as it is a political marriage arranged by Octavia’s half brother, Octavian. The second cover depicts Cleopatra who is heavily pregnant, the intruder of the marriage confronting Octavia on the other side of the wedding portrait. The last cover shows both Marc and Octavia, who despite the odds against them were able to achieve their happy ending with Cleopatra on the back cover, looking resentful. This project encompassed my passion for history, and stories, using my artwork as a means to tell them through a visual medium.