Tags: Games and Hobbies, Toys
By KC Santos
PAETE, LAGUNA – Anyone who believes that there is more to toys than its commercial value will surely appreciate what artist Mary Velmonte aims to do to help bolster the appreciation for what is considered a classic icon of this town’s folk art scene.
Takatak Project is what Mary considers an ongoing pet project that she started just this year. Under the brand, she sells the taka, a toy made from paper maché synonymous to the town Paete. Wood carving also thrives as a source of income for residents.
How Mary viewed her first “taka” toy as a child changed as she grew and understood the art in making it. It helps that she pursued a degree in Fine Arts but her fondness of the taka encompasses both aesthetic quality and the history behind it.
Whereas other entrepreneurs delve in business to gain, Mary says she wanted to first help sustain backyard industries in the making of the taka. She made queries from Paetenian old-timers in the craft and learned a bit more on the historical significance of the taka.
“It was believed that the traditional design of the taka was derived from the piñata of Mexico which could have been passed on to taka makers of the already existent paper maché industry during the Spanish period,” she narrates, adding this makes for an interesting back story unknown to many people.
“Some don’t even know the taka still exists,” she adds.
Given that there is a steady demand for takas, Mary fears that the very act of making the taka is already threatened by the lack of interest by young Paetenians.
“Some of the taka artists I’ve met feel that the younger generation is not as eager in continuing what they’ve worked hard for to sustain,” Mary says. She adds that this prompted her to continue her advocacy to help sustain this art.
Mary eventually started joining handmade art fairs in the metro wherein she would sell taka pieces brought all the way from Paete. She “contemporizes” the design to fit the taste of the younger customers.
Mary works as a freelance art director for an advertising agency, which helped her come up with ideas to effectively sell the taka. She then came up with Christmas and miniature editions of the taka to sell during the holiday season.
“I get a very positive response from bazaar goers especially since I somewhat gave it a modern and playful look. Of course there are some like me who get nostalgic when they see it because they too have once owned a taka when they were young,” she says.
Apart from color blocking, she also applies the use of the cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) color model for her prints and hand paints her original designs unto the blank taka. Each piece comes with a free bayong (native bag) to incorporate the fashion of Laguna crafts
Depending on the size (height of a ‘taka’ can go from 10 to 12 inches) and the intricacy of the design, Mary usually sells the taka from 150 to 200 pesos each. Some she sells in a package of twos and threes; she accepts customization for customers who want a unique and exclusive design.
Mary says anyone who understands and appreciates hand-made and local products share the same sentiment and motivations in sticking it out their business.
“No matter how little sleep I get, it’s seeing people’s reaction that keeps me going and believing that I am headed for something significant,” Mary says.
Mary now aims to learn how to make the taka from scratch. She aims to teach more children, not just the ones from Paete, the art of making a taka as a way of spreading the importance of this historical artifact.
“I’m only starting to generate awareness. I want it to get into the mainstream so that it not only becomes a source of nostalgia but a prominent figure of pop culture,” she says.
Get more information about Takatak Project
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