2009/10/03
Figures – Akihabara, Tokyo
Giving life to 2D-characters and creating them as reborn, materialized figures.
Figure prototype model creators
Shunji & Kaoru Hagii
Japanese figures are considered as something that represents a sub-culture, but when you look into the works, you may be highly impressed by their morbidezza, craftsmanship and artistry. A figure prototype model creator is a person who creates a prototype model of a commercially available completed figure and/or garage kit. Shunji and Kaoru are a married couple, but at the same time, they are rivals and cenacles, both of them are independent figure prototype creators.
We found a figure on Kaoru’s desk that she was working on. When I asked her if she is going to exhibit that work in a large-scale garage kits event which will be held this summer, she answered “I am not going to make it, and I’m not going to push myself to meet the deadline. When you set a deadline, you can only create so-so, but not the best. Sometimes it takes 5 months to develop one prototype. I break my back, trying to meet the quality of what I am aiming at. I want to spend time creating something that I poured my whole energy into. Forget about tactics to create something that can be sold or to make other people happy. I want to create something that makes me want to put it neatly in my room, something that satisfied my particular taste. That is the highest hurdle. Since, I can not compromise myself.”
Looking at girls created by Kaoru, people feel that they have an inner fortitude which never flatters nor is stained by any color. Thus people can’t seem to keep their eyes off the strong presence of the figures. The truly appealing aura that her works have would be an impression of strong peculiarity towards creation.
Many one-off product samples, which must be valuable works, are on a steel shelf arranged chaotically. For Shunji, the most important thing would be the creating process rather than the finished product, the result. Embodying a 2-D character exquisitely is a daunting task that requires patience, but I get the impression that he really enjoys that working process itself.
“In my childhood, we made bows, target and slingshots from whittling wood. Now, people do not have so much experience to “create something you want by yourself”. So I want to create work that makes people, who do not know the pleasure of craft or creation, want to “make it” “
His starting point was the desire to make a palm-sized robot of “EVANGELION” which he was fascinated by. As for Shunji, the job of making prototype figures is the condense joy of modelling.
Shunji and Kaoru work on creation as independent creators. The partnership of two people, who have different personalities and stance toward their work, thus the atmosphere they create is very interesting.
Shunji Hagii: Born in 1971. Actively creates both original works and prototypes for commercial production. He belongs to “Studio Saru Bunshitu Kasetsujo. “ Recent works include “Tengen Toppa Gurren-lagann” Yoko real image ver, (by Max Factory)
Kaoru Hagii: Born in 1973. She has been releasing original works with unique character. Her artist name is “Kaoru,” and dealer name is “Klondike”. Recent works include “egoista（original ）” and others.
photo:Nozomi Takahashi
