Washi machine

As if being included  in ‘The Murray Affair’ exhibit wasn’t cool enough, artist Ge Mapa gets a shout-out from ‘Time’ magazine for her washi work.

MANILA, Philippines - The world of craft seems to be slowly taking center stage and now people are starting to appreciate the art of DIY. To supply the increasing demand, more craft stores are opening both online and offline. All of a sudden, creative kids everywhere decorate everything — from notebooks to remote controls — with washi tape (a decorative Japanese masking tape).

But Ge Mapa was among the few who chose to DIY it differently. Being surrounded by art as she was growing up, it was no surprise for Ge to pursue a career in arts. “I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, but maybe it was in college where I first learned how to use the computer for designing,” says Ge. Aside from designing digitally, she also likes experimenting with new mediums for her art such as embroidery and washi tapes.

For her recent work, she illustrated a couple of beloved Wes Anderson characters such as Sam and Suzy from Moonrise Kingdom, and Zero the lobby boy from The Grand Budapest Hotel, using washi tapes. Not long after exhibiting the portraits in Heima’s anniversary party, Time magazine took notice. “I was so happy when I found out about it. I had a deadline then, but I couldn’t work. I kept going back to the post,” recalls Ge. Her short feature on the magazine was the cherry on top of another exciting event. “My artwork being included in ‘The Murray Affair’ exhibit in San Francisco was really enough, I never really expected it to land in Time.”

With two international recognition in just a few months, we can only expect greater things from Ge. When asked about her plans for the future, Ge answered: “I’m planning to release a new batch of washi tape artwork with Heima again soon. I also want to do washi tape murals next.”