Taiwan Today

Hank Cheng crafts miniatures blurring the line between fantasy and reality.

The Otaku’s Room looks exactly as its title would suggest; walls stacked high with comic book and cartoon figurines, as well as all the necessary tools to make the detailed models. It is easy to imagine an “otaku”—a Japanese word meaning nerd—spending many hours in such a space. No human will ever set foot inside, however, as the lifelike scene is in fact a miniature re-creation made by 51-year-old diorama artist Hank Cheng ‭(鄭鴻展‭)‬.

Cheng first began to create realistic scale models five years ago. As a professional illustrator and interior designer, he quickly mastered the required techniques, and has now completed about 40 pieces. Although some works are inspired by comic books and fictional locations, most are based on scenes from Cheng’s life. His first piece, Midnight Diner, re-creates a small restaurant he frequented when studying in Japan. And one of his favorite models, A Living, A Life, recalls old-time electrical and plumbing stores in Taiwan.

Through social media and participating in competitions, Cheng has become well known in the local and international diorama scenes, and he is more than willing to share his secrets with other enthusiasts. For example, he describes how a miniature stool can be crafted from scratch by gluing legs cut from a paperclip under the head of a thumbtack.

Diorama lovers continue to be inspired by the hyperrealism and detail in Cheng’s works. But the artist is not focused on collecting accolades—he just wants to tell the world his life story.  

—by Jim Hwang