I Was a Toaster
Facilitator & Curator
Art Festival
In My Past Life, I Was a Toaster is a playful storytelling and stamp-making workshop that invites participants to imagine who or what they might have been in a past life.
If you existed in any shape, form or colour in your past life, what would you be?...
More
World-building
Poster Design
Community is where world-building happens.
Whimsical Worlds is a safe and imaginative environment that encourages the sharing of creative ideas and collective play.
More
Smalla.0099@gmail.com
Working with emerging storytelling technologies such as 3D engines and Virtual Reality, Sami uses time-based media as an extension of the self, crafting experiences that reflect on the significance of everyday rituals and evocative objects, while also exploring our evolving relationship with nature in a rapidly transforming world.
Through personal and intimate narratives, her work reveals shared human connections, using digital spaces as sites for reflection, memory, and emotional resonance.
Digital Direction MA
2023 - 2024
Kingston School of Arts, UK
Graphic Design BA
2018 - 2021
Panellist & Artist,
“Common Threads: Bridging Cultures through Creative Practice,”
Damsel Collective, London
Aug 2, 2025
Artist
“POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair,”
Berlin Art Week, Berlin
Sep 11 - 14, 2025
VR Artist,
“Spatial Storytelling,”
London Breeze Film Festival, London
Oct 23 - 24, 2024
Artist,
“Now. Gather. Change.”
Outernet London, London
Jul 24 - Sep, 2024
VR Artist,
“Peckham Digital Festival 2024,” Peckham Digital, London
Jul 18 - 21, 2024
Artist,
“Television Centre Big Screen Showcase,”
Television Centre Live, White City
Jul 17, 2024
Workshop
Facilitator & Curator,
“In My Past Life, I was a Toaster,”
ATAAC Art Festival, Aldershot
Oct 11, 2025
Winner
2025
ArtEvol: Voices from the Undefined,
Shortlisted
2025
Aesthetica Art Prize,
Longlisted
2025
Global Creative Graduate Show,
Shortlisted
2024
VR/AR Experience Design
Unreal Engine 5 & Blender 3D
3D Modelling & Asset Creation
Prototyping & User Testing
Visual Direction & Cross-Platform Media Design
© Sami Malla 2026 | Last Updated 08.01.2026
3D Asset creation
Virtual environment design
As ecosystems are disrupted and biodiversity declines, the olive tree (Olea europaea), a species closely linked to human history, is retreating to higher altitudes as it can no longer survive in its traditional habitats. This shift reflects a broader change in our relationship with the natural world...
More
3D Asset creation
Lens Studio Spectacles
After Image explores how personal memory is reshaped in the digital age. Memory is no longer fixed; algorithms curate our pasts, and memories can become fluid, distorted, and emotionally charged. This project is an augmented reality experience that can be explored through Snapchat or Spectacle Lens...
More
Interactive Storytelling
Mo-cap rigging & animation
Commonality of Beliefs (Co:beliefs) is an interactive installation and cinematic exploration into the world of superstitions, examining how shared beliefs foster cultural cohesion and continue to resonate in contemporary society.
The project began with a simple question: Why do people still believe in superstitions? This inquiry led to the creation of a layered short film...
More
360 Video
Point Cloud animation
Dreamscapes explores the unpredictable and irregular nature of dreams. Using a 360-degree format and mixed media, the project examines the fluidity of narrative, the nuances of time, and the intricate details of dreamlike experience...
More