Channelling her feminine energy: Gwen Rae is challenging the patriarchy with her toy designs

Once a niche hobby among creatives and comic book fans, the obsession with collecting toys – specifically blind boxes, most recently fuelled by Pop Mart collectibles – has sparked mass hysteria worldwide. A handful of self-taught female toymakers in Singapore are growing a cult following on Instagram for their adorably quirky figurines. In the third instalment of this three-part series, we speak with Gwen Rae of @gwenster.

Beneath the cutesy, sweet appearance of her characters – a baby pink rabbit and a violet mauve panda – there simmers an underlying anger. They are manifestations of the frustration and angst Gwen Rae felt growing up.

The painter, graffiti artist and illustrator, who prefers not to mention her surname, had a challenging childhood dealing with gender biases in a traditional, patriarchal household.

“Growing up with my grandparents on my dad’s side was tough because they didn’t really like daughters. I struggled a lot with that because all my cousins were boys, and no matter what I did or how I was treated, I was always compared to the sons in the family. So, I grew up constantly having to prove my worth as a girl,” she recounts.

Now, she channels her emotions into her work, which revolves around the theme of girls and women in Asia being “suppressed” by patriarchal beliefs. In the past, she shares, Chinese families would pray for a boy after a daughter was born. They’d name the girl “laidi” or “zhaodi”, meaning they hoped their next child would be a son.

“There’s always been this gender bias towards sons in Asian families, and that’s what my work addresses – breaking that stereotype. I want to say, ‘Hey, even though I’m a girl and I’m proud of my roots, some traditions definitely need to go.’”

Her bold and vibrant illustrations often reinterpret traditional, masculine symbols in Chinese culture – such as the mythical qilin (a hooved chimerical creature), tiger or dragon – with an approach that borders on being excessively feminine and whimsical. It’s an aesthetic that she has adopted for her toys. Gwen describes their impish and snarky expressions as “smiling through the pain”.

She says: “A lot of my emotions are hidden behind these expressions. They don’t smile; they’re always in denial. I think of them as my conscience. When I’m making decisions, they pop up, but instead of helping, they argue with each other.”

Gwen, who had always wanted to try toy-making and 3-D sculpting, began experimenting with the medium after downloading a 3-D sculpting app on her iPad. The learning curve was steep for the self-confessed “slow learner”, who admits to being “terrible at picking up new skills”.

“After watching lots of tutorials and just sitting down to practise, I eventually got the hang of it,” she says.

While still working on perfecting the structure and proportions of her toys, Gwen, who has a fine art background, is currently preparing for an upcoming overseas art exhibition. She’s tight-lipped about the details, but working with various mediums – from oil paints to spray paints – has helped her develop an adaptable mindset. And if she needs advice, she can always turn to fellow creatives in the local art scene.

“People in the community are generally willing to share their knowledge if you ask. If they aren’t, you just work harder on your own, which makes it even more satisfying when you figure it out yourself.”

The toys are currently in prototype phase – check out @_gwenster_ for regular updates