“My thesis work focuses on intimacy, the different types of intimacy, and what it means to have an intimate relationship. Intimacy is often boxed in with romance, and though romantic intimacy is one form of it, it does not define what intimacy is. Intimacy refers to the closeness, familiarity, and deep connection in a relationship. I focused on the relationships between different animals because of how they are perceived to have little to no emotional connection. The emotions animals experience may not be as complex as humans, but they still show some form of emotion and relationship in a simple way. The animals I have chosen to recreate are ones that are symbolic in relation to intimacy and love. Swans are seen as a symbol of love as they are generally monogamous (romantic intimacy). Mothering otters will protect their pups by holding them afloat on their stomachs (parental intimacy). Koi fish have many symbolic meanings, some of them being unity, harmony, love, and loyalty within relationships (closeness or intimacy in general). Every intimate relationship is different in their own ways, but the one thing they share is that they are based on having a deep emotional and/or physical connection with another living being. Intimacy connects us all. ”