Tim Tsui

Interview

Tim Tsui is an internationally renowned toy designer/illustrator from Hong Kong. UKAdapta caught up with him after his World Tour stopover in London. He gave us the lowdown on the current toy scene, its future and how fake toys could have been bad business for him.

- Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

T: I like design and toys and was working as a graphic designer and web designer. However, in 2000, I decided to make something that I was really interested in and designed some figures. To push it in the art toy scene, I made some 6” figures for the WCC Toy Show in Japan and got some really good feedback on my product. I decided to continue and create some more series.

At that time, the HK and Japan toy markets were flooded with human-styled figures and I wanted to change it slightly and make something more unique. That’s why I changed my toys into more of an Ape-style, holding a spraycan. I’m a big fan of graffiti as well because I feel that it is an international language that everyone can appreciate, even if you can’t read the words, you can still admire the colors and style. I think that the art toy market is a little bit like this and that’s why I chose to incorporate graffiti as an element; to try and show how my work could be appreciated internationally.

-Tell us about the tour, what are the concepts behind it? Why the superhero theme?

The UK is the second stage of my tour; the first stage was in Los Angeles last October and the final show will be in Paris in April.

It was the right time to show more people in America and Europe my work and create more awareness of my brand in these continents. I chose to make superheroes because like graffiti, these characters can be recognized internationally. Heroes like Batman, Flash and Robocop can give people easier access to my figures and help them to understand my toy’s body-shapes by giving them recognizable icons.

- How do fake toys from China affect the art toy market in Asia?

T: The first reaction was that these people had no respect for artist’s rights and they were just stealing an artist’s idea to make some quick money. Nowadays, my feelings have changed and now I actually see it as a funny reflection of the whole scene. Many people know they are fake products because the materials are no good and the manufacturing is much worse than the original toys. So when I first started seeing these fakes in 2002, I began to worry as I thought that people would be confused over which one is the real toy and which one is fake. If people bought the fake one instead, I thought that it would be the end of my business. But as long as you inform and educate your fans regularly to be careful of the new fake toys to hit the market, then they will continue to support the real thing instead.

-What artists do you draw your inspirations from?

T: Actually, I really like Salvador Dali at the moment. He has inspired me to look more at abstract shapes when designing toys. At the moment, real objects are what most designers use when making art toys but maybe the future will be with much more abstract designs. I am also a big fan of Futura’s graffiti style and the paintings of Gary Baseman. I like them both as artists, but I wouldn’t say that I am directly influenced by them.

-How’s the toy market doing in HK nowadays?

Actually, it’s quite slow at the moment. There seem to be a lot of artists making toys in HK, but the focus has shifted to America and Europe. These are the places that have more fans and buyers.

The amount of people actually buying toys in HK has definitely slowed but is growing very strongly in the West.

- So the Internet must be a useful tool for you and fellow toy makers then?

T: Yes, it’s definitely important, not just for me but for young upcoming artists as well. It allows them to show their work to a great number of people very easily. A good example is the Flickr website, where you can search for anyone or place that is far away from your own country. I think that for this reason, you have to learn good internet skills before you can upload your work online!

- What’s your personal collection of toys like?

Well, because I am not a crazy toy collector with a huge collection, I only buy toys that I really like or that really stand out to me. If I think the artist has done a great job, then I will buy their toy but I am definitely not a “whole series” type of collector.

- On a personal level, which do you love doing most, designing toys or do you prefer illustration and painting?

I prefer sculpture and working in 3D. I think that your work can be more unique when created in 3D and therefore it can also be more recognizable to the public. Painting is a difficult medium to be unique in as it is harder to try and find a style that everyone sees as your style.

- Do you have any future projects that you’d like to tell us about?

T: I have a 5th Ape series that I am going to release shortly. He looks like an American football player, with small diamonds embedded into his armour. I used rhinestones in my design as I feel that it has become a kind of signature for my work. By adding something shiny or something with a bling effect, you can attract more people to your work, as your figure becomes more eye-catching.
Finally, as I said before, I will also have the 3rd stage of my World Tour in Paris this April at Artoyz. This will also include me doing some live painting at Galeries Lafayette which I’m really excited about.

Tim Tsui : http://www.teamzero.com.hk

Written by Selph