Five years ago, Hank Cheng was inspired to make his first diorama, a tiny miniature model of a Japanese restaurant he visited as a student. Before long, he became a master of his craft, and today he creates dioramas full-time and even sells them all over the world.
Cheng’s success isn’t incidental. His work is so vivid and full of detail, you can almost see tiny people living in the miniature worlds he creates. Part of the realism is that many of Cheng’s dioramas depict run-down neighborhoods, grocery stores, cluttered bedrooms, or back alleys. They are all real-life places from the artist’s memory; through his art, he pays a tribute to his community. Cheng can create anything out of wood, metal, and other recycled materials. “When people ask me if there's anything that I can't make,” he says, “I jokingly say, ‘Only air and sunshine.’” Scroll down and immerse yourself in a miniature world.
