Aquapunk

Augmented reality character imagined as a living body of water — fluid, reflective, and constantly shifting.

Overview

Aquapunk is a 3D visualization of an augmented reality effect featuring a character formed from water, combining cyberpunk aesthetics with marine-inspired elements.

The character’s surface is fluid and shifting, so the design uses a golden crown and jawline elements to outline facial contours and preserve expression. Inside the head volume, animated fish swim calmly, adding an inner rhythm and a sense of life.

Aquapunk became a Top 10 winner of Meta’s international Spark AR Cyberware Challenge, selected by a professional jury. For a period of time, Instagram and Facebook users could try the effect live on their own faces.

The project was later showcased at international XR and virtual fashion events — including Exthereal Conference in Finland (Fashion in Extended Reality) and LOGIN Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania. At LOGIN, a version of Aquapunk was featured on a massive curved-screen installation.

After Spark AR closed, Aquapunk found a new home on Snapchat — and went on to win the “Your New Era with Lens Studio” competition organized by Snapchat and Lenslist. It’s been a long journey for a watery character — and it still feels like it’s just getting started.

Gallery

Crown & Face Contours

The crown is made of gold and designed as two connected parts: the upper piece sits on the head, while the lower element moves with the jaw when the user talks. Together with the golden jawline accessories, it helps define facial contours — a key detail when the face is a shifting, water-like surface.

Inner Life

The fish were created from a single 3D model, then duplicated and varied through textures, materials, animation tempos, and positioning to make each one feel unique. This approach keeps the effect efficient and lightweight — important for strict mobile AR file-size limits, while still delivering a rich, animated scene inside the character.

Complete Character

The final piece brings everything together: a person made of water, crowned in gold, with jawline elements that keep the face readable — and fish drifting inside. A character that feels like it keeps moving forward, carrying its underwater world wherever it appears.