| 12.16.2018 – While the rest of the hobby community trooped to SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall in another part of the city a new gathering has begun.
This is the Toy Art PH: Toy Festival 2018, a different kind of ‘toy’ related event not to be confused by the usual toy festivals that happens annually in the country. Designer Toy Art is not your conventional toy gathering where you buy action figures and other properties. But an event about toy sculptures much like the Art Fairs that has been widely visited by the mainstream populace. This is not a toy event for children but it caters to everyone who appreciates a different form of art. |
The first of a two-day event that debut this recent Saturday featuring a collective of talented artists from the community that thrives in using Art Toy as a medium. Some are independent other have made their mark in the international art scene for their original creations. Since this is a first of many Toy Festivals the guests have Quiccs, Messymaru, and Carlo Cacho of Wetworks.
Each of these talented gentlemen has already been known internationally for their original concepts and ideas in the Art Toy scene. The event held a special forum towards the end of the event talking about their beginnings and how they made it there. There were trading areas for Bearbrick and Dunny collectors. You can also buy some of the rare art toys released previously.
But what makes Toy Art PH the next event to go to is meeting the other talented creators that you didn’t know they’ve been around for a while. Just like the local Komiks community there are prototypes and interesting reveals that no event has. This is similar to conventions in other countries that have original creations presented that the art toy community to look forward to for 2019.
Rotobox Voltes V and Other Creations
The creative team behind these impressive Japanese Super Robots has been around customising for the last 11 years. Originally, some thought these toy makers where based from another country due to high quality work they put in their project.
Rotobox has been familiar to a few people in the mainstream scene, but highly regarded in the Designer Toy Art community for bringing their childhood toys represented in their vision. Their recent work is the Naughty Bee Celsius an inspiration from Jollibee is more high quality than your most coveted Funko Pop Chrome version.
There were only five pieces produced and is very high quality that is worth the money being an Art Toy handcrafted and painted without the use of a machine. Beside the famed bee there are other similarly sculpted characters that are on display and available for you to sink your teeth in like Daimos and Mazinger Z. The most interesting reveal they had moving to 2019 is the 24 inch Voltes V prototype that follows their previously released limited Mazinger Z art toy.
Clay Grounds Debut
Giorgio Armani Go is new to the Toy Art PH event which is his first exhibit presenting his Undying Behemoth he claims to be inspired from Todd McFarlane’s Spawn characters and monsters. But personally, my first impression was it appears to be from tall tales of traditional Filipino Folklore which makes it quite fascinating that I think there’s a backstory somewhere with this creature.
It appears like a Kapre and a Tikbalang had a love child that produced this impressive monster of the unknown. The other art toys Giorgio have on sale are these red faced angry eggs that he originally plans to sell it as a keychain. The details on these are handcrafted freaks that shows how his sculpting skills has evolved in the last four years.
Wetworks + Collaborations
Carlo Cacho is a sculptor and has been in the Designer Toy Art scene in the last decade. His latest collaboration with Clog2 introduces the Shinshigami art toy featuring the artist’s signature skull head design.
It was recently released exclusively distributed by Flabslab. Wetworks will also produce a similar collaboration with Quiccs, which was also displayed the prototype that will be released sometime for an early 2019 release. What’s interesting is its not yet the final version of the TEQ63, but definitely the product version will be another exclusive from Flabslab.
Messymaru x TEQ63 Brickheadz
The collaboration between Lu Sim and Quiccs to product this rare TEQ63 Brickheadz that went for auction has some serious fire in them. Beside the mechas that were on display at his table, which have TEQ63 in brick form that everyone has eyes on their want list for the holidays. But it’s not sold individually only through a silent bidding, and that is the only way you can acquire this custom piece.
There were two variants of this LEGO creation and the bricks used are 100% original. You can find it at Lu Sim’s table along with his original builds that will be there for you to see until Sunday.
Samurai Sea Creature
Lost & Found Designer featuring Arman Kendrick’s creation of a sea urchin living inside a Samurai Warrior’s helmet is one of the eye catching creations you’ll find at this year’s Toy Art PH. The simple designs that have a skull variant are definitely worth looking at when you make it inside the Sixinch Gallery.
They’re called “TakoJimbo” which appears like they have glow-in-the-dark properties but pretty much standard art toy with a back story that can be found on the back card packaging. Arman wasn’t around his table but Giorgio was kind enough to explain the story behind these sculptures.
So far these are interesting exhibitors taking up space on the second level of the Sixinch Gallery that you should take a look at when you make the visit to this show. But if you can’t make it, find them through their social media channels where they post their previous projects and upcoming creations.
There’s more where that came from where that came from, and this event will grow in the years to come. The local scene for Designer Toy Art is finally here and supporting the artists is unlike anywhere in the world that would inspire others to make the Toy Art PH: Toy Festival happen.
“Toy Art PH: Toy Festival 2018” is currently happening at the Ronact Art Center until today (Sunday) and its free entry. Drop by and see the exhibits and find out more about the event through their social media via Facebook and Instagram.
No comments:
Post a Comment