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Lee Wing-Sze

A few years ago, three designers were playing around with action figures just for fun.

But today,  William Tsang Chi-wai, 43, Kenny Wong Shun-ming, 35, and Winson Ma Che-hung, 39, consider these 'toys' to be their closest work partners.

Since they launched  their  first action figure series, Brothersworker, things have changed.

The trio, commonly known as Brothersfree, are now showcasing their creations over the past few years at an exhibition, 'The Body Language of 1/6',  at Polytechnic University. It is not just another display of action figures.

The designers try to share their creative process with the viewers, from the first drafts and layouts of the characters to the research and test models that enabled them to come up with the  final products.

'Hong Kong's action figures are pretty mature. We can now link them  with business,' says Ma.  'Action figures are not just toys, they can be the spokespersons of a product or a brand. This is a real breakthrough.'

The designers, who worked in the advertising industry, are avid toy collectors. Their Wan Chai office is packed with  popular action figures, ranging from Godzilla to  local designer Eric So's Estate series.

'The three of us like toys and had worked in the creative industry for years. We are trying to make good use of our interest and turn it into a career,' says Tsang, sporting a moustache and goatee.

Like the message behind their first action figures - which helped establish their names in the field -

the trio work as a team from brain-storming to researching and designing the characters.

'We never follow a trend. We just create action figures with genuine heart and effort, trying to spread a message through them. Maybe this is what makes us outstanding,' says Tsang.

The Brothersjoker series is another  prominent work of the group. They used clowns as the major element in designing the seven characters,  which was considered a groundbreaking idea in the action-figure genre.

Their creations have been featured in many magazines. They were also invited to exhibit their works in  Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia.

Along with their friends Eric So and  Michael Lau Kin-man, the trio have helped boost the image of local designers in overseas markets.

'Action  figures created by local designers have received wide publicity in   Japanese and other overseas  fashion, toys and design magazines. You must have some  influence in the field to get such coverage,'  says  Wong. 'The US and Japan used to have a big say in  action figure design. But now Hong Kong has also got a place in the field.'

The group - the cover story of the latest edition of design magazine IdN - are exploring ways to make their products more appealing.

'We are thinking about merging  with different media such as animation and music,' says Ma.

'Maybe a figure could even develop into a movie or video games character   in the future.'

The Body Language of 1/6. 9am to 5pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays,  until March 27. SD Gallery, School of Design, PolyU.



Packed with action