Sara Shabani

I’m Sara, an art director and game developer based in Berlin. I studied Graphic Design and Animation in Germany; my short films screened at Annecy, Seoul and Tehran.

I’ve worked across animation and games as a visual development, 3D layout and UI/UX artist. In 2023, I joined The Animation Workshop’s Open Workshop residency in Viborg, Denmark, to develop my upcoming graphic novel.

I co-founded Darya Studios, where we are creating DARYA: a narrative first-person mystery that unravels a marine biologist’s legacy and her connection to whales. We collaborate with marine scientists and are supported by the Press Start Games Founding Stipend.

Having lived across cultures and drawing constant inspiration from nature, I hope our work at Darya Studios celebrates diversity and inspires love for each other and the world we share.

I have also given workshops in game design and visual development at Epitech University for students in its game-development program.