Another Kingdom: Oasis – Chess, Yoomoota Art Universe

Rarity and Collectible Value

Another Kingdom: Oasis is a limited-edition collectible chess set by Taras Zheltyshev, created within the Yoomoota Art Universe. Produced in an edition of only 21 examples, it transforms the familiar structure of a chessboard into a complex sculptural composition populated by fantastical biomorphic figures. The photographs reveal how strongly the work departs from traditional chess design: rooks become monumental pink tubular towers, knights take on elongated animal-like silhouettes, bishops appear as tall ribbed organic forms, and the pawns resemble small round-bodied creatures standing on delicate legs. The result exists simultaneously as a functional chess set, a sculptural installation and a collectible design object. Each example is equipped with an NFC chip functioning as a digital certificate and carrying ownership information.

Concept and Artistic Context

Oasis continues the narrative of two opposing kingdoms within the Yoomoota universe. Their confrontation serves as a metaphor for recurring human conflict, while the concept of the oasis introduces the possibility of relief, renewal and reconciliation. This idea is reinforced visually through the deliberately unexpected palette. Instead of the conventional black-and-white opposition associated with chess, the board and pieces employ plum, violet, peach, mint, pale pink, red and creamy tones. The two armies remain clearly distinct, yet neither side is presented through the severity of traditional monochrome chess. The tropical and almost playful color scheme softens the symbolism of conflict and shifts the work toward a more surreal, optimistic interpretation of competition and coexistence.

Craftsmanship and Decoration

The set combines contemporary digital fabrication with extensive hand finishing. Its production includes 3D printing in durable resin, molding, sculpting, polymer casting and acrylic painting. The close-up photographs demonstrate the attention given to surface treatment and individual character. Some pieces have glossy, almost porcelain-like bodies, while others display ribbed, textured or irregular surfaces. Small sculptural details — rounded limbs, curled necks, organic ridges, protrusions and contrasting colored accents — distinguish the individual chess figures from one another.
The 48 × 48 cm board is itself an integral part of the composition. Its glossy purple-and-white playing surface is framed by a substantial violet body with rounded edges and coordinate markings along the perimeter. This visual continuity between board and pieces allows the set to function as a single coherent artwork rather than as a conventional board accompanied by separate figures. The polished surfaces and carefully controlled palette further emphasize its character as collectible contemporary design.

Human Touch and the Yoomoota Universe

Taras Zheltyshev, also known as Taras Yoom, develops Yoomoota as an alternative fictional universe populated by unusual creatures, objects and environments inspired by anatomy, biology, emotions and human behavior. His artistic practice includes sculpture, collectible furniture, painting and functional objects, with biomorphic forms playing a central role throughout his work.
Another Kingdom: Oasis is particularly representative of this approach. The hierarchy of chess remains immediately recognizable through the arrangement and scale of the pieces, but each conventional type has been reimagined as a living character with its own silhouette and personality. Their forms appear humorous, fragile, ceremonial and sometimes slightly uncanny, turning the logic of chess into a theatrical encounter between two invented civilizations. The work therefore preserves the intellectual structure of one of the world’s oldest strategic games while transforming it into a narrative object about rivalry, identity and the possibility of breaking established cycles of opposition.