This article was first published in The Manila Times, November 8, 2019 Campus Press.

by The Manila Times

Amy Nayve was only five years old when she made her first pop-up heart in a card, and was nine when she created her first carousel dollhouse pop-up book for a school project. Her fascination with pop-up art started when she was inspired by the books received as gifts from her grandparents residing in the United States.

The 22-year-old had always wanted to be a paper engineer since childhood, but it was only during her days at the De La-Salle College of Saint Benilde’s School of Design and Arts that she fully realized the joy in creating pop-ups. The precision and accuracy she honed at the College — with two years enrolled in the Architecture Program prior to shifting to the Industrial Design Program — added to her foundation, and are very well visible in her choice craft.

New York Times best-selling paper engineer Matthew Reinhart, whose books are some of the most mind-blowing Nayve has ever seen, asks: “What is the most awesome way to experience things?” This question was carved in the young artist’s mind when building her own pieces. “Pop-ups are an exciting way to deliver an interactive experience to the reader where two-dimensional images would fall flat,” Nayve beamed. “They’re like little theaters — you know you’re in for a spectacular show when the curtains open,” she added.

She does this miracle inside her own studio, a spare room in her family home, where her table, art caddy, scanner, printer, Silhouette Cameo machine cutter, A3 cutting mat, art materials, handy dandy hobby knives, washi tape, lots of paper, and stacks of her all-time favorite books for inspiration, take refuge.

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