Name:Michael James Bajacan
Location: Philippines
Email:michaeljames01@gmail.com
Bio:
I am currently a third year student of BS Medical Technology studying at University of Santo Tomas.
Include descriptions of the following questions in a format (. Doc)
1. Tell us about your background?
I first learned about papercraft on a documentary back in 2004 but since it was in Japanese, I was unable to know what the hobby was called. Fortunately, I found it again by accident in 2006 when I was searching for my sister’s origami project. The very first model I built was the witch from the Yamaha website. It was a pretty simple model so I decided to build the more complicated Yamaha motor bike next. It’s one of my favorite models and also the one that got me hooked into this hobby.
It’s really amazing how you can turn a 2-dimentional card stock into a beautiful 3D work of art. All you have to do is cut, fold and glue. It was on November 4, 2006 when my blog Papercraft Paradise was born. I created the site to promote and spread the word about the addicting art of paper modeling. As of December 30, the site has more than 3,250 blog posts featuring links to free models that you can download and build.
2. What's your inspiration and motivation?
I’ve always wanted to build things since I was a kid. I started with Lego and ended up with Japanese model kits like Gundam until a few years back. I used to collect anime action figures along with Gundam but I stopped when I discovered papercraft. Not only is it a cheaper alternative, the models also look better than their plastic counterpart. I love building complicated models and I get inspired to finish a model and display the finished product on my display cabinet.
3. What's your favorite quote or philosophy of art and design?
4. What do you think of the designers in Indonesia?
When I started my blog, most of my visitors came from United States, Europe and South America. In Asia, most were from Japan or Korea but in the last couple of years, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of Indonesian visitors. As the hobby gained ground in your country, very talented papercraft designers also came out. One of them is the very talented Julius Perdana who owns one of the biggest papercraft websites called paper-replika.com. There are many other notable Indonesian designers including Sal Azad, Jo Dee (paperkrap), Idham (cocooan urban), Ruang Antho, Chris Ryan, etc.
5. What is the message to newcomers?
If you ever start on a model, always make sure that you finish it. Some people lose interest in building one when they encounter a part that is too hard to put together. As a beginner, start with the easier paper toys then move on to the more complicated ones when you are more skilled. Always remember that practice makes perfect.
7. What do you think of the designers in your country?
Papercraft isn’t as big in the Philippines as it is in Indonesia. But of course, there are also some very talented paper model designers out there. I’m very optimistic that this artistic hobby will gain more followers in the next few years.