Hip-hop figure maker

HIS creations are highly sought after in the international market. Each figure he makes fetches an average price of US$400 (RM1,600). Last year during the pandemic, demand for his work surpassed his wildest dreams. But the journey of Mohd Saiful Zainal was never easy, and it involved making tough decisions.

Known in the art scene as BboyBlackz, Saiful, 40, recounted his younger days when he had to make his own toys. He loved robots and action figures and his parents could not afford any, so he used to make them on his own using whatever he could find.

He began experimenting when he was in secondary school, by sculpting plasticine and later developed his skills using Sculpey, where his creations were baked. Now, he casts resin figures based on his clients’ requests.

His fascination with hip-hop also began when he was young. He was a member of a Bboy group and was known as Black. That is how Saiful got his name, BboyBlackz.

His talent in Bboying, also referred to as breakdancing, took him around the world and while he travelled, he soaked up the hip-hop culture.

Nevertheless, he did not choose dancing as a career. Instead, he worked long hours at a cinema to make ends meet.

Sculpting, casting, painting and making figures began as a side gig for Saiful in 2007. Initially, he only made figures on personal requests because despite having the talent, Saiful lacked skills.

“Although I developed skills in sculpting on my own, I learned about casting and refined my skills further with the help of renowned sculptor and art director Mufizal Mokhtar,” he said.

After years of going home late at night and working early in the morning, Saiful decided to quit his day job in 2018. The long hours had taken a toll on him and he wanted a better life for his wife and children, and he believed that his figures could make that dream come true.

“It was a tough call. To let go of a stable income was not an easy decision despite my confidence in my skills. I discussed it with my wife and we decided to take the leap,” he recalled.

Within a year, his art improved with every project. He targeted the hip-hop market and using his marketing intuition, he made figures of famous Bboys, which he sent to them. Word about his figures started to spread and clients started pouring in.

However, despite his talent, art and marketing sense, he lacked business acumen. In 2019, Saiful hit rock bottom.

“I only had RM5,000 when I quit my job. When I made a profit from the figures, I spent it all buying stuff for the workshop. I didn’t save. I didn’t know how to run a business. I had to turn to my friends for help, and thanks to friends like Mufizal, I was able to get back up.”

In 2019, Saiful learnt to streamline his business, sourced for materials locally, and found a balance between profit and demand.

“For example, I used to use a commercial resin to cast my figures in the beginning. Now, I source them straight from a local factory. Also, after a lot of trial and error, I found supplies and materials locally that works with what I do,” Saiful explained.

Most of Saiful’s clients are from overseas, especially the US and Canada, where the hip-hop scene thrives.

“My clients range from fans of hip-hop, shop owners, to hip-hop artistes themselves.

“Each figure takes between a couple of weeks to over a year to complete. It depends on my inspiration. Sometimes, I use an iPad to make sketches first. Other times, I go straight to sculpting.”

As demand for his figures increased and boomed in 2020, he was not able to deliver on time, having to offer refunds to his clients.

“They would refuse to take refunds because they know they can’t get my figures anywhere else. So, they are very patient. They know that I am just one person and not a factory,” he added.

Some of his works are one-of-a-kind. In these cases, he would send the original mould with the figure to the client. However, when it comes to a cast that he can reuse, he would never make more than 30 copies of a figure.

With fame comes a lot of challenges as well. As the bulk of the figures he makes are in the likeness of hip-hop artistes done in graffiti style, some of the artistes do not appreciate it.

“It was scary at first. Some of these artistes warned me against using their likeness and I would take down any photos or videos of them when requested.

“But my fans would stand up for me. They know that my work is based on clients’ requests, and I do not mass produce them.

“My figures are seen as fan art, done with respect for the subject, for someone who loves hip-hop culture, not a commercial product.”

So, does he keep any of the figures that he has made?

“No, my mother would not let me. She said I can make them but I can’t keep them,” Saiful quipped.