Inspiration from Cardboard: Colin Matsumoto

Colin Matsumoto: Fine Arts Major & Interdisciplinary Studies Minor.

Colin Matsumoto recently found inspiration from cardboard while
designing a chair for a 3d modeling class. I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his inspiration for the project as well as some of his future academic goals. Here are his responses:

What was a main idea/function you wanted to express through the design of your chairs?

"My chair took a lot of improvising to arrive at the final design, so my inspiration changed many times. Ultimately I wanted two separate chairs that would sit side by side, facing toward each other. It would be literally a conversation piece as the chairs complement each other in color, shape and orientation."

What challenged you when creating a design using cardboard?

“My challenges included the need to frequently change my design, either for aesthetic reasons or because the chair had no concept behind it's design and was supposed to have one. The two chairs idea that I arrived at was very very time consuming and also made it pretty tough to find enough cardboard to create a sturdy chair.”

Can you fill us in as to your academic interests and future goals?

“My interest in fine arts is the basis of my learning here at school. It is what I have done and have been good at doing since I was very young. I hope someday to make a career out of the work I'm doing now, possibly as an illustrator or a muralist, though there are many cool options to explore. I also have a deep interest in Spanish, activism, justice, music, public art, intellectual property law and a few others. I plan on completing a minor in interdisciplinary studies, which I think will help me develop inquiry skills and a broader perspective on learning. This kind of stuff will be useful to me as a force for my art as well as a basis for other sorts of work I may want to explore.”

Thanks Colin for your time, we appreciate the photos and interview! Keep up the good work. We would love to hear from more Western students about current or past projects that have challenged them this year. Email us at the westerndr@gmail.com