I’ve always been drawn to organic shapes, the uncanny valley, and horror aesthetics—so creating a severed hand for a kinetic sculpture felt like a natural extension of those interests. My intention was to craft something simultaneously beautiful and unsettling.

I based the hand model on this tutorial, modifying it by adding sponges to give the fingers more volume and realism. I had initially planned to cover the structure with a glove to mimic skin, but the motor I used wasn’t strong enough to pull the strings and lower the fingers effectively with the added resistance.

Using MakeCode and JavaScript, I programmed a motor to open and close the hand with subtle variations in speed to give it a more organic motion. I also added a light sensor: when the ambient light drops below a certain level, the hand begins to twitch erratically, simulating nerve spasms to heighten the sense of unease.

To frame the piece, I decorated the cardboard housing with playing cards and circus-inspired visuals, drawing from the aesthetic of animatronic fortune tellers you might find at old fairs—bridging whimsy and eeriness.