The Rocking Springbuck ( Edition of 20) Sculpture

I am a designer and artist with a PhD in Electrical Engineering. These diverse interests enable me to create sculptures that are technically complex and artistically competent. 3D printing brings to life my visions and mechanisms that are impossible to sculpt by hand. I love the challenge of creating something that is imagined and then designed on computer and seeing if my idea printed out as envisioned. The first time I hold the design in my hand is when the finished product comes out of the 3D printer. I have been involved in 3D printing since 2006 with a Post doctorate in Custom Medical Implant design at the CUT. Since then my Chrysanthemum centrepiece was voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa at Design Indaba 2009. In 2012 I won the VISI emerging designer of the year and in 2014 named one of the City Press 100 world class South Africans. My 3D Printed Garden of Eden fashion collection debuted on the 3D Printshow catwalk in New York in 2014 and The Horse Marionette, a fine art piece, was on exhibition for two years in the London Science museum, and is now part of the Museum’s permanent collection. I founded the Agents of the 3D revolution in 2013; through exhibitions and seminars the public is given access and education in cutting edge technology. The Process: I create my sculptures by first visualizing the object. This is then translated onto paper, and after a series of sketches transformed into a technical drawing. This drawing dictates the measurements and dimensions needed to translate the artwork into the computer. The scale of the sculpture, distances between parts and mechanical functionality have to be meticulously planned out before I move on to the computer. I use software programs to translate the idea into a printable digital design. My favourite material and process is selective laser sintering. The polyamide or plastic material is well suited to creating movable parts, relatively robust depending on the thickness of the part, and with the texture and look of coral. When a design is finished, I email it to a local or international manufacturer. The sculptures are then built up by fusing thin layers of Nylon powder. When the print build is finished the powder is removed and the object magically emerges from the heap of deposited powder. A few days later the completed sculptures arrive at my door ready to be unpacked. This is always a very tense moment.