(SPOT.ph) Toys aren't just for kids, and we know that for sure with all the high-value vintage toys sold online, auctioned off, or put on display for fellow collectors to be envious of. And in some form of a very meta twist, German artist Hans Bacher—character designer of Disney films Hercules (1997) and The Lion King (1994)—has a vast toy collection from his favorite Disney and Pixar movies. His own merch and figures from Lilo and Stitch, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, A Bug's Life, Toy Story, and Monster's Inc. are currently on display at the College of Saint Benilde’s School of Design and Arts in Manila until February 22, 2020.
Earlier in the year, the Benilde Center for Campus Art and the AB Animation program launched The Hans Bacher Collection, which featured the works of the renowned animator. It focused on concept sketches for characters, paintings of scene locations, and clay models for Disney's Mulan (1998)—giving the audience a glimpse of how the beloved film was developed. The said show was on display at College of Saint Benilde's School of Design and Arts campus from May to August.
The toy collection, on the other hand, gives us a closer look at the personal life of the artist. In an interview with the The Benildean in May, Bacher confessed that his passion for animation started at a young age. “I think I did the first animated tests when I was only 10 or 11 years old, and I made my first animated short when I was 14 [or] so,” he said. We bet his younger self is dancing in glee with what his older self has achieved (plus the toys he has collected).
The Toy Collection of Hans Bacher runs until February 22, 2020 at Animation Hallway, 11/F School of Design and Arts, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila City. (The campus is closed for the holidays from December 18 to January 2.)
