The Magical Chemical Elements is a project aimed at introducing chemical elements through their cultural meanings and modern applications with visual illustrations, photography, and written descriptions, targeted primarily at middle grade (8 – 12 years old) audiences.

The project example shows how I transform the description of a chemical element (palladium) into visual illustration.

Palladium is named after Pallas/Athenas, the goddess of wisdom, strategy, and warfare. It is primarily used as a catalytic converter in car exhaust systems. In this illustration, I combined the cultural image of Pallas and a catalytic converter, making the goddess hold a glowing converter in her hands, symbolizing her authority over the naming of the element and authorizing its use.