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Creative Abdulla BinHindi has realised his dream of becoming a toymaker and used time off during the pandemic to create unique Bahraini designer toys inspired by his childhood and the kingdom’s culture.
With extra time on his hands due to the Covid-19 crisis, he has so far designed and 3D-printed Hamoor, the hammour, as well as a Tasty Terrors collection.
“I have had this idea of making toys for the last five or six years and have sketched some concepts during my time abroad,” he said. “I decided to bring them to life rather than just keep them in my sketchbooks.”
Home-based 3D printing, also known as ‘additive manufacturing’, is a relatively recent hobby which involves the construction of a three-dimensional object from a digital model, using a specialised printer, like the Ultimaker 3 used by Abdulla.
Hamoor and the Tasty Terrors collection are 3D-printed resin or standard ABS-based designer toys, modelled, created, painted and post-processed by Abdulla, with each piece sometimes taking as long as three weeks when made to order.
With his childhood in Bahrain inspiring him, Abdulla’s education as an architect has given him the training and tools to conceptualise and craft his creations. In addition to a foundation diploma in Art and Design from the University of The Arts London, Abdulla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Westminster and has complemented that with a host of self-taught 3D-modelling skills.
“I have always had an inclination towards design,” added the 26-year-old artist. “Originally, I had planned to study game design as video games were a big influence growing up and to this day. Architecture was the most appealing as it was a specific pathway that gives insight into many field as a source to drive design. It allowed me to sharpen my skills in not just one focussed place, but rather a holistic shift in mentality, creative ability and curation.”
Abdulla’s first ‘complete’ toy was a hammour dressed in a fine Arabic thobe. Its name is a play on the Arabic word, ‘Hamoor’ which is slang for a ‘big shot’.
His first collection, Tasty Terrors, is inspired by a fleeting moment of nostalgia and memories linked to specific foods growing up, he added. Among the collection’s stars are the “tea-riffying” Karak Monster, the monstrous “Meeno” and the bootlegging breakfast band “Shak” and “Shuka.”
Each toy takes up to 26 hours to print, during which time anything from printer jams to running out of supplies can force Abdulla to restart the process.
He explained: “I start from sketching it out on paper and refine it until what I draw, and the idea in mind, align and seem to fit well stylistically. Then I take it to 3D and sculpt the toy. Essentially it is similar to the traditional method but, instead, I use a graphics tablet and sculpt it.
“This can take anywhere from a day to a whole week. It depends on how complex the model is. I’ve come to learn a lot since starting. When designing, I create the toy in a way where it won’t cause issues when producing it or painting it. Once the 3D model is complete to my satisfaction, I render it to see the colours, then I print.
“Printing can be tricky at times and can take up to 24-26 hours on the larger parts.
“After printing comes post processing and painting. This does not usually take long but is also toy dependent. Some are quicker than others. All in all, I would say the longest would be three weeks, accounting for errors, shipping and other factors. It does take up a lot of time and energy. Hence the made-to-order approach!”
Abdulla has seen an overwhelmingly positive response so far and even led a live-stream, at the behest of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, explaining how to design and print your own “Samboosa” toy.
Now, with the support from his wife, Noora, whom Abdulla is slowly drawing into his world of toys, he has started Toyio, where collectors can order their own Hamoor or Karak Monster designer toy. Just keep them out of reach of very young children because they might byte!
Check out the collection on Instagram: @gotoyio
