7 Digital Originals is a cooperation between Leica and globally selected handcraft artists who carefully transfer digital images taken with Leica T Cameras into individual analog originals. The project dissolves the boundaries between digital and analog and focuses on the value of traditional handcrafts. Every artisan will host an event where they will present their pieces. The artists and cities are as follows: Jennifer Trausch, New York City; Mark Arnon Rosen and Wendy Marvel, Los Angeles; Alfons Alt, Marseilles; Marin Novak, Vienna; Miun, Singapore; Stickyline, Hong Kong; Unused, Tokyo.
Furthermore, a Special Edition Leica T Camera System can purchased online. With this purchase, you receive a Handcraft Voucher of the artisan of your choice. This voucher enables you to upload your favorite moment and transform it into your one of a kind Digital Original.
 Below, we learn more about Miun’s Collage Box and Stickyline’s Paper Folding. The event celebrating Miun’s work was held on October 6 in Singapore and Stickyline’s event will be held on October 8 in Hong Kong.

 Miun’s Collage Box
Q: How does it feel to transform digital pixels into real, tangible originals?
A: It feels amazing! I’m an analogue person and I love to have interaction with most of my art series that I have done previously (like a child building a sand castle). Sometimes I feel as if this project was custom made for my craft.

Q: What is the most important tool for your work, other than your hands?
A: My table! I used to work on the floor when I did not have a proper work space. It was a total mess and disaster.
Q: What is the importance of handcrafts in current times?
A: It’s really obvious that a lot of people have lost touch with innovation. For example, interactive art. An art director saw my art work once and said this to me: “This is real!!! I can really touch and interact with it. Unlike digital where I am just swiping the screen.” Digital devices take a lot of time away and I have to admit that I am into this too, but I try to balance it out and spend more time creating than doing nothing.
Read the rest of Miun’s interview here.

Stickyline’s Paper Folding
Q: How, when and where did your handcraft find you first?
A: One day, we decided to work on a funny project. We found some people who fold 3D comic objects out of paper like an Ironman mask or comic figures. They even upload their working files for others who love them too, so we gave it a try and started out by making a helmet from an online game.
Once we finished the helmet, we realized that we can create a lot of things using the same method, and that we can create them in new shapes and forms, it doesn’t have to be another Ironman or some famous comic figure.
When we were doing our first project Masked Creature, we designed 3D models on our computer and then transformed it into 2D lines and shapes, so that we can cut them out and assemble them like sewing a cloth. It is so amazing to bring our creation from virtual reality to the real world by using a computer and paper.

Q: Which part of the production process do you like best and why?
A: We like the assembling process the most, it’s like playing puzzle or Lego. We assemble each paper cut-out in an order, which is the most convenient way to get it done.
It’s our  favorite process because it’s so much fun to see the object starting from zero, and finally becoming a 3D object in your hands.

Q: What is the biggest challenge?
A: The biggest challenge is the most exciting part: bringing our design from the virtual world to reality is not easy. Physics and gravity are our biggest challenge, we need to be friends with them. They are not easy to get hold of but they exist.
Read the rest of Stickyline’s interview here.
– Leica Internet Team
Learn more about the events in Singapore and Hong Kong. Get more details on the entire 7 Digital Originals project. The official hashtag for the collaboration is #7originals where you can follow along the celebration of handcraft art. Connect with Miun on her website, Facebook and Instagram. See more of Stickyline’s work on their website, Pinterest and Facebook.