Jobs 101: Miniature food sculptor

When we first stumbled on Jocelyn Teo’s realistic recreations of local desserts like ondeh ondeh and colourful layered kueh, we were amazed. Her attention to detail in her miniature food sculptures left me in awe.

We caught up with Jocelyn, owner of the online miniature food sculptures store AiClay, after one of her sculpting workshops to find out more about her job as a miniature food sculptor.

Who: Jocelyn Teo, 28

Describe a typical day at work.

I start off by checking emails about urgent queries. Then, I get started on my orders, such as the things I have not made and have not shipped out.

Usually, I work on sculpting during the day, where it is bright. At night, I work on marketing, such as publicity, posters, and editing photos. If I have workshops, I spend the day preparing and setting up for them.

Share with us a memorable experience.

The most fulfilling moment for me was being able to work on my Pocket Kitchen craft kit from the conceptualising stage, all the way to the actual product.

It was a two-year process that involved travelling to Hong Kong, China and Germany and speaking to suppliers to have it manufactured.

What difficulties do you face in this job?

Right now, I face difficulties with manpower because I only have two hands. It is quite hard to manage.

During workshops, I may be able to speak to a lot of people at the same time, but I cannot go around to help everyone individually. But, I am looking into finding interns to join the team.

How long have you been doing this, and how has industry changed?

I have been doing this for six years. From the start, very few people knew what miniature food crafting is about. I think that has definitely changed, and I am hoping that it is partly because of my workshops.

People are also more receptive to the whole handmade notion, and they see value in hand-made items.

What motivates you in your work?

The fact that I control every aspect of it helps me craft my own life, and I do not have to seek someone else’s permission to do so.

I also like seeing how happy the participants are with what they created at the end of each workshop, despite their initial doubts. Knowing that I gave them a good experience to create something motivates me as well.

Any advice for youth who are considering this job?

Have a business plan! Sit down for one or two hours, and consider your target audience and what you can offer compared to other artists.

Also, many people are worried that the price of their items may be too expensive. Respect your time and effort, and price yourself fairly.