{"id":16547,"date":"2016-02-16T13:30:19","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T18:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=16547"},"modified":"2017-10-19T11:27:56","modified_gmt":"2017-10-19T15:27:56","slug":"designer-spotlight-melissa-ng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/designer-spotlight-melissa-ng","title":{"rendered":"Designer Spotlight: Melissa Ng"},"content":{"rendered":"

The designer spotlight this week highlights Melissa Ng<\/a>! Melissa creates beautiful, whimsical masks, that she’s transformed into intricate pieces of jewelry. She’s also working to help entrepreneurs and creatives\u00a0navigate the 3D printing world through motivational writing and art.<\/p>\n

Update (February 16, 2016): We’ve followed an inspiring project with Melissa; The Dreamer Regalia Armor. Take a look at her process<\/a> from ideation to final touches on a truly beautiful 3D printed piece.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?<\/em><\/p>\n

On my site, Lumecluster, I make intricate Dreamer Masks and fantasy wearable art for ambitious creatives who want to take people\u2019s breath away.\u00a0I’m a New York-based self-taught artist with a background in media & communications and public relations, When I’m not working on Lumecluster, I am managing two other small businesses.<\/p>\n

I started 3D printing in 2014. Within less than a year in the 3D printing arena, I won the\u00a0Adobe & Shapeways 3D Printing Design Competition<\/a>\u00a0with my very first 3D print, I designed the aesthetics on a gorgeous\u00a03D printed prosthetic leg<\/a>, and I worked on a\u00a0JiHAE music video<\/a>\u00a0starring\u00a0The Walking Dead<\/em>\u2019s Norman Reedus.<\/p>\n

\"MelissaNg_profile_S\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?<\/em><\/p>\n

Mask symbolism, and specifically Venetian masks, have fascinated me ever since I was a child. And being an entrepreneur who has to be many people, wear many hats, and constantly wrestle with my emotions, it felt natural that my day-to-day would influence the direction of my art. My masks portray the unpredictability of the entrepreneurial and creative Dreamer’s wonderlands, like how the pursuit of a passion can bring illuminating clarity (Dreamer Mask: Illumination<\/a>) or consume us with fear and uncertainty (Nightmare Mask: Fear<\/a>). Overall, the masks aim to raise a discussion on how we choose to wear our dreams (or nightmares) at rest, work, play, and life.<\/p>\n