Abigail Roscoe uses her experience with disability and resilience to create The Sixth Sun, a mythic tale of survival and hope.
For Abigail Roscoe, art is more than just a career. It is a lifeline, a medium through which she channels her resilience, her struggles, and ultimately, her hope. As a Mexican-Canadian illustrator, writer, and multidisciplinary artist, Roscoe’s journey has been one of profound transformation, both in her personal life and her creative work. She is no stranger to hardship, having faced chronic pain, a devastating medical error, and the loss of vision in one of her eyes. But it is from these very experiences that her most ambitious project, The Sixth Sun, was born, a narrative that reimagines ancient Aztec mythology and speaks to the power of survival through creativity.
The Sixth Sun is a project that reimagines Aztec cosmology through the lens of modern humanity’s search for meaning. Set in present-day Mexico City, the story follows two musicians whose lives are changed when they encounter Huehuecóyotl, the ancient trickster god of music, fate, and rebellion.
The Sixth Sun is a story about creation as resistance- about how, even when the world feels beyond repair, the act of creating becomes an act of survival.
A Life Turned Upside Down: From Artist to Advocate
Roscoe’s path to artistic success wasn’t a straight line. After studying illustration and animation in the Netherlands, she began her career in children’s literature, blending storytelling with environmental consciousness. One of her most impactful early works, Yuka’s Way Home, a collaboration with Indigenous Sámi reindeer herders in Northern Norway, established Roscoe as a champion of cultural respect and environmental storytelling. However, it wasn’t until her life took an unexpected turn that her work truly found its deepest purpose.
In 2025, Roscoe’s life was altered by a severe medical error, leaving her blind in her left eye. On top of this, she struggles daily with arthritis and chronic pain that began in 2021. The physical limitations that once seemed invisible became her new reality, forcing her to confront the fragility of the human body and the limits of creative possibility. “The world suddenly felt smaller,” Roscoe shares. “I couldn’t move as freely, couldn’t work the way I used to. It was heartbreaking.”
But in the face of these challenges, Roscoe found strength. She learned to navigate the world differently, finding new ways to express her creativity and bring her stories to life. Rather than letting her disability define her limitations, Roscoe used it as fuel- pouring her energy into The Sixth Sun, a tale that would become a beacon of hope not just for herself, but for others who feel similarly constrained by their circumstances and have fought through challenges that could’ve been their downfall.
The Sixth Sun: Reimagining the End of the World
At the heart of Roscoe’s groundbreaking work is The Sixth Sun, a modern-day myth set in Mexico City, where two musicians encounter the trickster god Huehuecóyotl, and through their journey, discover that the world’s end might not be the end at all. Far from being a story of despair, The Sixth Sun is one of survival, transformation, and the creation of a new world. Roscoe describes it as a narrative born from a slice of folklore and traditional storytelling, climate grief, disability, and the urgency of reimagining a future in a world on the brink of ecological collapse.
“In an age defined by ecological grief and global uncertainty, The Sixth Sun offers a message of hope,” Roscoe says. “Even when everything feels like it’s falling apart, we have the power to begin again.” The narrative is both mythic and deeply personal, an exploration of how creation, not destruction, can lead to redemption. It is a modern reflection of the ancient Aztec belief in cyclical destruction and renewal, ideas that resonate deeply with Roscoe’s own experiences of loss and recovery.
The story is a powerful antidote to the hopelessness that so often accompanies the conversation around climate change and personal hardship. Through The Sixth Sun, Roscoe invites her audience to consider how creativity, art, music, and storytelling, can serve as vehicles for hope, healing, and ultimately, survival.
Creating Without AI: A Human Touch in an Age of Technology
One of the most striking aspects of The Sixth Sun is the fact that every piece of it, every word, every illustration, every voice, all the music, and even animation is created by human hands. In an era where AI-generated art is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, Roscoe’s project stands as a conscious act of resistance against the rise of automation in creative fields. “This project is about human connection,” she explains. “From the voice acting to the concept art, every aspect of The Sixth Sun is created by people who are passionate about the work. No AI. Just humans telling a story.The Sixth Sun celebrates that creative spark we have”
This commitment to human craftsmanship is not just an artistic choice; it’s a deliberate statement. Roscoe’s work challenges the growing trend of AI-driven art, insisting that the human experience, especially one shaped by struggle and resilience, cannot be replicated by algorithms. Her art is not just about aesthetics; it is about embodying the stories and experiences that matter most.
Beyond the Story: Education, Inclusion, and Representation
Roscoe’s artistic journey is not limited to the creation of The Sixth Sun. She is deeply committed to making art and education more inclusive and accessible, particularly for young audiences. Through her collaborations with organizations like the Caribou Conservation Alliance, Roscoe creates visual materials that help communities understand complex ecological issues, such as conservation and land stewardship, in ways that are engaging and relatable for children.
Additionally, her work with the Vancouver Aquarium, where she teaches illustration workshops and creates educational content for kids, speaks to her passion for connecting art and environmental education. By fostering curiosity about marine life and local ecosystems, Roscoe helps young learners engage with nature in a meaningful way, ensuring that art is a bridge to both personal and environmental awareness.
A Global Vision: Sharing Art Across Borders
Roscoe’s work has reached far beyond the confines of her work in Vancouver, as she’s new to the city- Her art has been exhibited internationally, including a feature exhibition in Bern, Switzerland, where she showcased pieces exploring themes of disability, mythology, and dreams. These works highlight how identity, culture, and storytelling intersect, offering a global audience the opportunity to connect with her deeply personal journey.
The exhibition marked a significant moment in Roscoe’s career, a moment where her personal story, informed by disability and resilience, was shared with the world. “It’s surreal, but also incredibly meaningful, to see my work displayed in places like Switzerland” Roscoe says. “Art has always been my way of communicating with the world, and now it’s becoming a way for others to communicate with me.”
Through these exhibitions, Roscoe continues to inspire cross-cultural dialogue, shedding light on universal themes of hope, perseverance, and the power of storytelling. By sharing her art on the global stage, Roscoe is demonstrating that personal transformation can resonate with people far beyond her own experience.
Join the Journey of Hope and Creativity
Roscoe’s work is a testament to the power of art as a tool for healing, hope, and change. With The Sixth Sun, she has created more than just a story, she has created a vision for a world that refuses to be defined by its end, a world where creativity is the ultimate act of resilience. Through her art, Roscoe is showing us that even in the darkest of times, we can find new beginnings, new stories, and new ways to connect.
The Sixth Sun is free to enjoy, and is updating constantly with new art, and upcoming episodes produced by Abigail’s studio, Coyote Studio, and professionally produced by her sound engineer/partner, Liv Kurt.
To explore Roscoe’s work and learn more about The Sixth Sun, visit Coyote Studio and follow her on YouTube.
