Design & Technology
U.F.O’s Ninti box design process
“I was first asked to work on the box design for the Ninti in-ears back in June 2023. Roger told me Black Rose’s mission statement and what his goals for the project were. To combine the art of sound, sound design, and visual art was the mission. When I first heard ancient Sumer in our conversation I was elated. I've always been a fan of mythological deities and icons. I was excited and immediately commenced research on the two deities that the box’s contents were pulling from.
For projects like these I simply do my research and create a mood board with pictures and keywords to fully envision the idea. The research is always the best part. Learning the story of Ninti and Enki was very enlightening yet difficult. Considering there isn’t much to pull from on baseline research only truly had a few documents and images that had real depth. I pooled it all together for the box design. I wanted something that was colorful and stilling but still created a sense of historical significance and fantasy in the viewer. The front of the box is the world tree or the tree of life. It shows up in Mesopotamian and Sumerian myth as a giant tree that connects all the universe with its roots and branches.
“For The box I made it rainbow vibrant to show its ability to reach inside any realm giving life and knowledge. Inside the box I have Ninti and Enki. Ninti is a healing goddess born from Enki’s rib. For her I used warm colors and greens to uphold the healing maiden archetype for her which was my goalpost. And Enki being a god of wisdom, water and magic, I wanted to give him a strong quiet disposition even in deep pain remaining stoic. He’s featured sitting being healed by Ninti with water and fishes swirling around him.
In the air around the two are ancient Sumerian symbols. On the sides of the piece I researched the goddess Ishtar’s Lions who guard her gates to me and their guarding wisdom of this new ancient knowledge box. Black rose I’m honored and excited to see how clients respond to the boxes and how Black Rose will continue teaching the masses through artistic collaboration and innovative sound design. I’m so proud of the boxes and honored to have Been selected to carry out the vision for such amazing in-ears.”