Andy
Only hours away from ToyCon UK 2022, we finally have time to sit and chat with Tik Ka from East. originally from Hong Kong, now settled in England. Gearing up for his first-ever Westen Convention and Exhibition. Sit back and let’s enter the world of Tik Ka from East.
TTC: Arriving just over a year and finally settling in how’s it been adjusting to UK way of life?
Tik Ka: Yes, it’s only been a year, I like the way of life here, and I hope to make more friends.
TTC: Toycon UK will be your first Western convention and in London, we see you have many fans waiting to meet you. What will you be bringing to Toycon?
Tik Ka: I am also very happy to be invited by ToyCon. This is my first event in the UK. In fact, I don’t know if there are fans in London. Whether you know me or my works or not, I also hope that there will be more events in the UK in the future. More opportunities to meet and get to know everyone. This time it is a mini Showcase. I am going to show my past representative works for ToyCon, such as Hambuddha, Santa Guan and Alien Jade.
At the same time, because I am a painter, I also brought a series of Giclee prints that I like to draw in recent years which are specially produced for ToyCon UK 2022. At the same time, I will also draw and sign for everyone during the signing period. I hope everyone will have the opportunity to collect it.
TTC: Tell us a little bit about yourself & your background?
Tik Ka: I am an artist from Hong Kong, and now I live in the UK. In 2016, I created the TIk Ka From East series. At the same time, I have exhibited in different parts of the world, and I have also cooperated with different brands to create works with East meet West such as paintings and Art Toys.
TTC: We are loving the illustration you did for this year’s Toycon U.K. what’s the inspiration behind it?
Tik Ka: Thank you for your love. I am also honoured to paint this year’s ToyCon art. The painting is a message. I hope that the creation of our industry can one day become a monster like the mascot of ToyCon, and the creation can shake the UK. Everyone will love and create with respect, opening up important and special areas of art for the UK.
TTC: You’ve had many production art collectables over the years. Which ones will be on display at Toycon?
Tik Ka: For ToyCon, I am going to show some representative works of the past, such as Hambuddha, Santa Guan and Alien Jade, which mean a lot to me.
TTC: You have worked on many licences with companies like our friends at Unbox industries, Soap studio, Mighty Jaxx, ZCWO, has it been a challenge adding your signature style to the licensed IP’s?
Tik Ka :Yes, fortunately, I have good partners, they are also willing to be crazy, very professional and dedicated to me. When I always insist on my unique style of cooperation, they all try to cooperate with me. What challenges, they face more challenges than me in this regard, because I am a very demanding and troublesome person.
TTC: How did you come up with the modern spin on a traditional style?
Tik Ka: In fact, it’s not a deliberate arrangement, it’s just that when I create art, I put it in different media, and East meet West is my creative direction, and slowly expand the theme to the concept of exploring good and evil.
TTC: We loved “Little Rice” which features similarities to your daughter, which has a different style and evolves around your daughter Luna will there be any more vinyl art collectible or prints for collectors in the future?
Tik Ka: Before the birth of Tik Ka From East, I created a series called “Chizi”, which is a concept of pure heart, and it is more inclined towards Fin Art / contemporary art direction. It happened that my daughter was born during this period, so there’s always going to be a little bit of influence, and I’m still going to continue this series, but in a direction, that’s a little bit deeper into art.
TTC: Has it been hard working away from friends and family since you moved from Hong Kong to England?
Tik Ka: I like the UK very much, life is completely different from Hong Kong, I like the values here, which are also very close to mine. Yes, it is a sad thing to be away from friends and family, but also because of this, I cherish the people around me more people.
TTC: We know you and the wife like to cook at home now what English dishes have you tried to make?
Tik Ka: Yes! My wife learned to cook Roast chicken, plus Banoffee pie and it tastes good.
TTC: Best English food you have tried since you have been here?
Tik Ka: We tried Fish and Chips, and a traditional Sunday roast made for us by our British friends. I love fish so much. I would like to challenge Jellied eels.
TTC: Your latest project and release with popcorn supply x unbox see your interpretation of ancient mythology, what’s the idea and design behind the series?
Tik Ka: In recent years, Hong Kong and even the world have become crazy. Justice and evil are no longer as simple as the cartoons we read when we were children. Everyone has heard that good deeds and bad deeds have consequences. In our Chinese legend, there are eighteen levels of hell. When a person does different bad things, he will go into different levels of hell to suffer.
Now, some people use means, power, and plans to rationalize the bad things they do, and they no longer feel that they will have consequences for doing bad things. My creation is to present the eighteen layers of hell, to express “Now people still believe in retribution? Believe it. Hell is this thing?
TTC: What are your top 3 paints to use?
Tik Ka: I like to use Acrylic, but the Tik Ka From East series mostly uses Chinese ink for painting. In recent years, I have also liked to use computer graphics, and iPad has become my painting book.
TTC: Have you got anything brand new coming to the event this year?
Tik Ka: This event is to bring to you the works that I consider classic, as well as the theme of good and evil that I have loved in recent years.
TTC: We love Chinese food, what are your top 3 dishes or restaurants you would recommend the readers to try in Hong Kong?
Tik Ka: Hong Kong food is a bit different from Chinese food, if you are eating Hong Kong food, I would recommend “Pineapple Bun with butter”, “ice milk tea” and Satay beef noodle”, they are all in the Hong Kong-style cafe I often go to
TTC: Have you got any favourite western artists that you like or get inspiration from?
Tik Ka: Many people may like POP art artists, but I like traditional artists, like Vincent Willem van Gogh, Oscar-Claude Monet, and appreciate that they can completely take the audience into their inner world in their paintings, which is also what I have been pursuing. level.
TTC: What does Tik Ka like doing in your spare time when arts are not involved?
Tik Ka: I like watching movies, whether it’s Hollywood movies, especially 80’s sci-fi movies. Before CGI was a thing, their props were very realistic. I also like Cult Movie and Hong Kong and Japanese movies.
TTC: Only hours away from Toycon, are you excited to meet old and new fans and get to know the U.K. designer toy community?
Tik Ka: This is what I am looking forward to very much, because I am relatively silent and do not like to talk, and I am still learning English, so I will try my best to communicate with you.
TTC: Is there any sneak peeks for future projects and design that you can share with us?
Tik Ka: In the future, the focus will be on hand-made artworks. I think Art Toys is a good medium, but if there are more hand-made media, such as sculpture and painting, people will be able to appreciate the passion of the artist better.
Thank you for taking the time to speak to us Tik Ka First of all welcome to England Tik ka!
WHEN: Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of June 2022. MEET Tik Ka from East 11th June 11-12am and 2-3pm.
WHERE: Tik Ka from East Booth #4. at ToyCon UK 2022 Novotel West London, Hammersmith, London, W6 8DR.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/toycon-uk-2022
Find Tik Ka from East on Instagram and Facebook.
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