Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries
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Saoirse O'hUadhaigh 

Design for Stage + Screen

Saoirse O'hUadhaigh, an Irish/Kiwi character designer, discovered her passion for makeup and prosthetics through horror films. Specialising in prosthetics, she aims to astonish audiences, with gnarly wounds to monsterous beings. With a knack for Film, TV, and Theatre applications, including beauty, facial hair, etc, she adds depth to her characters. Proficient in photography, digital work, model-making and puppetry, Saoirse's repertoire extends to collaborations with the Irish National Opera and various film and photography projects. Driven by passion and creativity, she aims to elevate her career alongside fellow visionaries, continuously pushing boundaries in her craft.

For my final college project, I wrote a silent film script centred on the Japanese Yokaī, the Jorōgumo. This supernatural entity, a shapeshifting woman who morphs into a monstrous spider, preys on a solitary wedded Samurai Warrior. The narrative unfolds as the Samurai encounters a captivating woman at the forest's edge, drawn into a mesmerising but perilous journey where reality blurs with myth. The pivotal moment reveals the woman's horrific transformation into the Jorōgumo, leading to a chilling confrontation. Through eerie imagery and suspenseful storytelling, the film depicts the Samurai's gruesome demise at the hands of the spider-like creature. Ultimately, the project delves into the unsettling intersection of myth and morality, leaving viewers with haunting reflections on the complexities of human nature and the allure of the unknown. The Jorōgumo Yokaī represents sex workers 'enticing' married handsome men to cheat; however, instead of sex, she transforms from a beyond beautiful woman into a terrifying spider monster and feeds from her human prey. She lives in a cave behind a waterfall, where reality and a more eery fantastical atmosphere are clouded. I wanted to reflect her setting and deceitful personality through her design, making her skin look still human-like, blood vessels and veins enlarged and bulging with glossy, wet, and slimy, with utterly cold black eyes staring back, leaving any void of humanity and mercy behind her, she is only a monster who sees unfaithful, weak married young men as dinner and nothing more. Character design, prosthetics and application for the character of the Jorōgumo: Full face of custom-made prosthetic, overlapping gelatine prosthetics, glatzan baldcap, Opti-cast resin eyes, and easyflo resin and biscuit foam fangs.
The Jorōgumo before her transition, The Geisha. I wanted to focus and adhere to Japanese culture when creating my Jorōgumo in her human form. By researching and studying the scrolls of Edo Japan, I recreated a classic Geisha look with black teeth representing her passage into womanhood with more of a wet, shiny look and an extraordinary long black lace wig to emphasise her otherwordly beauty. This glow continues into her costume, with a satin sheen with her kimono and fan. Character design and application for the character of the Geisha: Cream face-paints, beauty makeup with emphasis on cool toned highlighters and a long black lace wig.
The Jorōgumo beginning her transition, The Bloody Geisha. Continuing from the Geisha look, I wanted an oomph of a hint of her transformation; my model bit into a mouth-safe blood capsule where blood pours from her mouth, signifying her change in behaviour and the uncomfort of her body transforming.
The Decapitated Samurai Warrior. The decapitated Samurai Warrior is to showcase the aftermath of the Jorōgumo attack. His lower face was ripped off to represent a fused Tengu warrior mask on his face where the Jorōgumo tore it off. His eyes are swollen and bruised to illustrate the impact of her assault and a gouging wound on his neck from her terrible bite. Discoloured, disfigured and glossy from the cold wet cave floor and the Jorōgumo's drool, this Samurai won't be going anywhere in too much of a hurry. Character design and model-making of the Samurai Warrior: Cast, mould, and sculpted for a whole silicone head prop, biscuit foam filling, coloured with psycho paints and oil paints, and hair punched with black human hair, topped with homemade fake blood.
Photography for Jorōgumo by Kasse Garcia @kasse.garciapp
Full Storyboard of Script
Jorogumo Designs
Jorōgumo character chart
The Process!
Geisha character chart
Decapitated Samurai Warrior character chart
The Process!
A Jorōgumo's Entanglement

For my final college project, I wrote a silent film script centred on the Japanese Yokaī, the Jorōgumo. This supernatural entity, a shapeshifting woman who morphs into a monstrous spider, preys on a solitary wedded Samurai Warrior. The narrative unfolds as the Samurai encounters a captivating woman at the forest's edge, drawn into a mesmerising but perilous journey where reality blurs with myth. The pivotal moment reveals the woman's horrific transformation into the Jorōgumo, leading to a chilling confrontation. Through eerie imagery and suspenseful storytelling, the film depicts the Samurai's gruesome demise at the hands of the spider-like creature. Ultimately, the project delves into the unsettling intersection of myth and morality, leaving viewers with haunting reflections on the complexities of human nature and the allure of the unknown.
Through this storytelling, I designed and created my version of my Jorōgumo and the decapitated head of the Samurai Warrior, emphasising the climax of my script.


Thesis PDF A Jorōgumo's Entanglement Script PDF

The Evolution of Historical Mask Symbolism in the 21st Century Western Masked Horror Cinema

This thesis explores the evolution of historical mask symbolism in Western masked horror cinema through an in-depth analysis of key films. My study delves into the historical, animal, grouped and shame masks, examining their symbolic significance and their contributions to the evolution and endurance of masked horror cinema.
Films such as Creep, Saw II, The Purge, Haunt, The Boy and The Black Phone serve as case studies, revealing how masks are utilised to portray various themes ranging from existentialism and psychological trauma to anthropomorphism and shame. My studies combine cultural, philosophical and psychological perspectives to aid the understanding of the meanings behind these cinematic masks, displaying their transformations in the 21st-century horror iconography.


Thesis PDF A Jorōgumo's Entanglement Script PDF
Character MakeUp Design
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