WHO SAYS professionalism and love for toys cannot be a good combination? Such is not the case for this Thomasian artist.
After his graduation in 2005, 33-year-old Jomike Tejido shifted from the strict conventions of architecture to the more playful art of illustration.
“I liked children’s book art because there were not much rules. Being an artist, you can do it anytime as long as you’re good at your particular niche,” he said.
Tejido is the man behind the “Jepoy Dyip” series, an interactive children’s toy book depicting the life of an animated jeepney with his vehicle friends. Inside the Jepoy Dyip book are cutouts from which children can construct dioramas of Filipino sitios.
“Being an author and illustrator for children’s books, I get to create worlds and transport these worlds into the minds and hearts of Filipinos across the globe,” he said.
Last Nov. 28, he launched “Foldabots Toy Book 8,” the latest compilation of old and new Foldabots robots. It is a series of cardboard robots that kids could make and reassemble into different vehicles or gadgets, published monthly in K-Zone Magazine.
In 2010, Tejido launched “Robotars: Robotic Tarsiers,” an environment friendly toy whose head can be used as a pot for small indoor plants while its hands can hold pens and a picture can be clipped to its tail. He released 100 hand-painted Robotars, 10 of which were designed by different visual artists close to him.
The Wood Menagerie, also one of his crafts, is a collection of hand-assembled sculptures influenced by cubism and DeStijl, an artistic movement also known as neoplasticism. The sculptures are animals presented in various light colors and basic geometric forms. These are assembled in his home studio here in Manila where each mimic block is carefully painted in order to be a reminiscent of Tejido’s childhood.
The artistic, versatile ‘chameleon’
Being on the Dean’s list for three years, Tejido graduated with flying colors and also received the Thesis of the Year Award in 2005. His first solo exhibit, “The Tree that Captured the Stars,” which was staged after passing the board exam in 2007, represented his fears, hopes, and dreams as a fresh graduate and a new jack ready to participate in the art industry.
Likening himself to a chameleon, he works with different companies with various visions resulting in exposure to different materials, from acrylic paint to digital art programs. He never sticks to a specific art style and he explores the other mediums available, such as wood, woven mats and digital tablets.
Aside from the banig paintings and the wood menagerie, he also hopes to eventually master sculpting using metal and craft the kind of art that people would be happy to look at.
Tejido shows love for the country by creating paintings on native products, including banig, which he considers as a way of spreading environmental awareness while also showcasing Filipino art and culture. His chosen theme is a tribute to the country that raised and took care of him. His sixth solo art exhibit back in 2010, “Gentle Giants,” centered on whale sharks and underwater landscapes, with paintings having titles such as guidance, partnership, and leadership, while his 2012 exhibit, “Ako’y Isang Mabuting Pilipino,” depicted the everyday life of Filipinos.
“Companies hired me to do their work despite my novice level and young age. There were times that I failed, but I just took everything that was offered to me and never said no,” he said.
From his witty whimsical toys to creative banig portraits, there is no denying that Tejido immortalizes Philippine culture at its core, preserving and upholding the traditions our culture is known for with each and every continuing brush stroke. Maria Corazon A. Inay and Vianca T. Ocampo
