Japanese artist Naoki Terada's paper models in his exhibition "Life Of Terada Mokei" are small and delicate. Although the works come in the 1:100 scale typical of architectural models, these laser-cut creations are not so much about the houses or the buildings as the people, the lives and stories behind them.
Naoki Terada’s ‘Bangkok’ set recreates seemingly insignificant objects that readily remind viewers of the city.
"As an architect, at first I was doing it for work, like models for building offices and houses," Terada explained. "Then I had to put models of people into them as well and the real starting point was when I did a model of a zoo just for fun. It got good feedback from the general public, and from then on I continued to do more works which are not architectural."
Part of the "meets project in Asia" where artists in Asia can showcase their works abroad, the exhibition is divided into two sections: 18 main miniature sets are displayed in the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) reception area, while other pieces are exhibited here and there all over the library area inside for visitors to discover for themselves.
The highlight of the exhibition is the "Bangkok" set which is the latest in his World City series after Tokyo, New York, and Amsterdam.
Terada wanted to portray objects which seem insignificant but which readily remind viewers of the city.
Apart from the familiar objects in the set like three-wheeled tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis and spirit houses, there are also those items less frequently depicted such as plastic stools often seen at street food stalls or fruit vendor carts.
"I have already done cities in Europe and the United States, and I chose Bangkok because it's very different from Tokyo, especially people's way of life. People here are very lively. The work may seem strange to the locals but I want people to understand that it's portrayed from the viewpoint of an outsider," said Terada.
The process before creating these models was to visit the city and experience everything in person.
"I spent five days in Bangkok last year. On the first day I would just walk around and eat without carrying a camera because that might obstruct me from experiencing the real things. Then on the next day I would start taking photographs and take measurements. The photographs must be taken from the right distance to get the accurate proportion of the objects. Thai people were very nice and friendly, they even helped me with the measuring even though I didn't ask for it," he said.
The models come in a two-dimensional pack, although once they are cut out and folded you can sense the life and story behind the otherwise simple and small pieces of paper.
One of the striking parts of the "Bangkok" set is a dog lying in a flat position. Terada said he noticed how laziness seems to be a characteristic of Thai dogs, and all he did with the model is flip its head up a bit from its lying position _ that was all it took to make his point clear.
Each set is made from a single colour of paper, and it's a very tough process for him to choose the right one for each city.
"For Bangkok, I was thinking of pink or yellow, but I didn't want it to relate to any political problem. I couldn't do red either, so I chose blue because it is one of the colours in the national flag," he said.
There are several other examples in the main exhibition which show how such small works can be so powerful. The "Cherry Blossom" set depicts a group picnic scene. The foliage spreads out wide and round, and the details are so delicate that viewers might find it hard to believe that it was made from common 180g drawing paper.
What Terada finds interesting about the paper models is that they can be folded.
"They are very simple shapes but people are able to attach feelings to them. They are something not only architects but normal people can easily relate to," he said. Even though he's an architect and product designer, Terada said that these are neither graphic designs nor commercial goods.
"It's a work of art through the means of graphic design. It's not for commercial purposes but the reason that it's for sale is because I want people to touch and feel the essence of these works." When looking at the world on such a small scale, viewers have to take part in the creative process.
"When it's small, the details are omitted. Like going to an art museum, people have to use their imagination, and each viewer has a different imagination."
"Life Of Terada Mokei" is on until Aug 11 at Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC), 6th floor, The Emporium shopping complex.
