National Taiwan University of Science and Technology student Cheng Li-kai (鄭立楷) has won the Gunpla Builders World Cup’s U-20 championship with his work titled “Kira Kira.”
Cheng, a sophomore in the university’s College of Design, was crowned champion of the U-20 championship the second time, after he won the title in 2023.
Kira Kira features characters of different timelines of the Gundam anime meeting each other in an alternative universe, Cheng said.
Photo courtesy of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
It is an imaginary scene extending the ending of the anime’s story, with the composition paying homage to Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, he said.
The contrast between the new and the old was represented in terms of the design, coloring style and the overall setting, he added.
Cheng said he first learned about model customization while he was in elementary school, as he was inspired by the Gundam Build Fighters anime television series.
He said he learned to make components, customize models and color them through limited online resources in his teenage years.
Gundam modeling is not just a hobby, but also his means of expressing imagination, Cheng said.
He said he enjoys developing new techniques more than polishing learned skills.
Continuing to innovate to improve efficiency, the modeling process or visual effect is what drives his motivation in the long term, Cheng said.
Kira Kira has an avant-garde, experimental touch, he said, adding that he was afraid the judges’ panel would not like it.
The competition’s assessment criteria included coloring, craftsmanship and creativity, and Cheng’s work was highly praised for creative expression.
Cheng said he did not restrict himself with the existing mainstream style, and developed his own by integrating various materials and techniques.
Cheng said he is not detail-obsessive, but good at being flexible in using different methods to achieve desired effects while being efficient and expressive.
His education helps him make clear creative judgements, he said.
He said he has leaned to save attention for crucial parts of his works and take it easy while handling more insignificant parts.
Cheng encouraged those who have an interest in the activity to dismiss instruction manuals, and bring imagination and personal style into their works.
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