This Gen Z gives new life to recycled cardboard through art

CARDBOARD is among the most accessible materials that can be used in many ways.

Most of the time, cardboard is used to store various items like groceries, clothes, toys, and random things one can find inside their house. Other times, Filipinos use it as a substitute for a notepad, a hand fan, an umbrella, and a mat.

But for Sebastian Cacho, a 21-year-old industrial design student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD), cardboard plays a significant part in enhancing his skills in visual arts.

This Gen Z artist turns cardboard into intricate models of various characters from science-fiction films and comic books like insects, monsters, and robots. 

One of the characters he made through cardboard sculpting is the famous super robot Voltes V from the hit Japanese anime television series of the same name, which wowed several netizens for its creativeness and uniqueness.

His other artworks have also been getting appreciation and recognition from different schools and organizations, with Cacho being invited as a speaker and a facilitator of art workshops to inspire more young people to enhance their art skills while also promoting environmental sustainability.

Birth of a cardboard artist

Cacho started taking an interest in cardboard art when he was 13 years old, which was not surprising given that he was born into a family of artists.

In an interview with republicasia, Cacho shared that his cousins, who work with various art media, influenced him to create new works of art out of recycled materials. Rubber became his first medium.

“Yung isa po sa kanila [cousins] is gumagawa ng rubbers. So mga figure din, mga craft, tapos doon ako nagkaroon ng inspiration sa kanila. Tapos syempre bata parang ‘Wow, ang astig naman nito,’” he recalled.

As a young artist, Cacho wanted to expand his artistic reach by exploring other media like cardboard. He recalled the time when he was looking after his grandmother and thought of making artwork out of cardboard boxes that were only stored in their house.

“Meron kaming mga kalat sa bahay, mga cardboard boxes from appliances ganyan, tapos parang gusto ko lang i-explore kasi madaling i-form yung mga cardboard boxes,” he said.

He added that it was also his way of recycling used materials into new items, instead of throwing them away.

“Kunwari itatapon mo sa basurahan tapos box ng appliances, masyadong marami,” said Cacho. “Parang umisip ako ng way kung paano siya gawin into something na pwede mong i-display or as an art.”

Quirky cardboard artworks

When he ventured into cardboard sculpting, Cacho’s first creations were scale models of motorcycles, robots, and insects. His imagination grew bigger, allowing him to create more quirky figurines with intricate designs.

He gave birth to scale models one could probably never imagine like “Chickenosaurus,” a character that is half chicken and half dinosaur; a “Grab Mech” or a robot inspired by a mobile application that offers deliveries and mobility; and a bloody “man-eater beetle.”

These characters are mostly inspired by sci-fi movies and comics, which Cacho is a fan of.

“Na-a-amaze ako doon sa character na parang gusto ko siyang hawakan o gusto ko siyang mapaglaruan, ayaw ko na mapanood lang siya,” said the cardboard artist.

He continued, “Tapos, iniisip ko rin ang ganda nung character na ‘yon, what if mag-create din ako ng sarili kong character?”

Cacho shared that he never sketched his scale models and just went straight to sculpting the cardboard.

“I can say na original design kasi kapag ako gumagawa, nag-start ako sa basic form tapos additive lang ng materials,” he emphasized. “Tinitignan ko lang kung saan mapupunta yung image, kunwari gusto ko i-add ‘to. Kumbaga, doon na ako mismo nag-e-explore sa sculpture, kung ano magiging itsura niya.”

Cardboard sculpture process

Cacho uses different types of cardboard, and among them are balikbayan boxes and pizza boxes.

Since balikbayan boxes are thicker, the Gen Z artist said he typically uses them for the armature or the internal parts of the character since they are more durable and can hold other pieces together. For pizza boxes, they are mostly used for external parts since they are thinner and can be easily formed.

Aside from cardboard, Cacho incorporates brown paper mixed with glue to add details to the character.

“Yung paper binibilog ko, ‘yun yung ginagawa kong pang-details ko. Kung makikita niyo sa works ko, ‘yun yung mga spheres and swords, made of brown paper din,” he said. 

He also explores takeout containers from a popular chain of coffeehouses and roastery.

For his tools, Cacho uses different kinds of cutting tools like scissors, a snap-off cutter, and a pen-type cutter.

The industrial design student spends days finishing a cardboard artwork, depending on its size. It usually takes him a whole day or two to finish a small-scale model. A 12-inch, or medium-sized figurine, will take him four days to one week to finish. 

Meanwhile, life-size scale models take longer to complete—from two weeks to months.

Prices for cardboard sculptures range from P5,000 and above, depending on their sizes and how intricate their designs are. However, Cacho said he was not open to commissioned works, although several individuals were interested in buying his pieces.

“Yung mga works ko meron din akong mga buyer na ‘yun na ‘yung binibili nila,” he shared. “Yung mga pino-post ko sa social media, doon po ako nagbebenta ng works.”

Inspiring aspiring young artists

Like how he got interested in cardboard art, Cacho said he hopes to inspire other young aspiring visual artists to try recycled art through his workshops.

In August, he held a creative workshop titled “Material Transformations: Transforming Cardboard into Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Taguig City, which catered to kids and adults. This was his first time holding a workshop in a museum, shared Cacho. 

“It’s nice [na] makapagturo sa mga kids and others kung paano ko ginagawa yung works ko,” he said.

The workshop was about basic sculpting, with Cacho teaching participants how to create basic shapes and details using cardboard.

“Kunwari meron isang shape sila na gusto tapos gusto nila i-explore ‘yun, gusto nila lagyan ng face, ng head, ganyan, doon ko sila tuturuan ng mga details,” he said. 

He continued, “Parang from cardboard, gumawa kami ng 3D object na square, cylinder, tsaka ako mag-a-add ng details.”

Holding his first workshop in a museum overwhelmed Cacho, as he highlighted how he went from being inspired by his relatives when he was a kid to influencing other young aspiring artists.

“Medyo na-shock nga ako kasi ako lang dati nung nag-i-istart ako, hindi ko naman akalain na ganito pala yung magiging future nito and ako lang kasi as a kid lang, gusto ko lang ng may mapaglaruan parang as a hobby lang. Gusto ko lang may ma-i-display na character,” he said. 

“‘Di ko alam na ngayon pala meron din nagkaka-interest na mga gustong bumili or gusto ring matuto kung paano gumawa ng mga art,” he added.

Cacho left a piece of advice for those who wanted to venture into cardboard sculpting:

“Push niyo lang kung ano gusto niyo like sabi nga ng dad ko before nung gumagawa pa ako, ‘Follow your potential and success will chase you,’” the cardboard artist shared.

“Kung saan ka masaya, doon yung gawin mo kasi kung ginagawa mo kung ano nagpapasaya [sa’yo], parang ‘di ka napapagod,” he stressed.

This September, Cacho will hold an exhibit for his cardboard sculptures in the historic Escolta in Manila City.