Quiccs: From corporate world to world-class Filipino artist

MANILA, Philippines — "Never in my wildest dreams that I would be working with big brands such as Jollibee. It’s very, very surreal."

In spite sold-out collections locally and abroad, with his mecha toys included in Design Center of the Philippines' most iconic Filipino designs in the last 50 years, Filipino toy designer and illustrator Quiccs Maiquez remains humble and in disbelief.

“Growing up, I would always be fascinated by Japanese robots that I would see on TV. And during the ‘90s, hip-hop was a big influence to me and my craft because since I was five years old, I was already into art, I was already sketching stuff.

“And during the early 2000s, I was heavily influenced by the graffiti culture. So all of these combined is what makes TEQ63 how it looks today,” he shared at yesterday's unveiling of JolliTEQ, his new collaboration collectible art toy figure for Filipino fast food chain Jollibee.

Before becoming a world-renowned artist, Quiccs was first a creative director that helped brands turn their vision into reality.

But in spite a fledging career, he chose to make his own vision a reality instead.

“Toy designing was a passion I've always wanted to pursue since 2012, seeing all those designer toys growing up, it was my dream to have my own toy,” he shared.

“This eventually turned into what it is now. And since then, I've got collaborated with many local and international brands, most of which I have a personal connection with…” he said of his other collaborations that included Adidas, Johnnie Walker and Foot Locker. His partnership with popular cartoon and anime characters like Hello Kitty, Transformers and Voltes 5 garnered long queues and were all the rage in Japan. 

“It's been a great journey. So Jollibee is very, very close to our heart even as a family. Because every time I go to conventions outside, from the (United) States to Europe or to Hong Kong, every time I go home, I look forward to the Chicken Joy and my spaghetti served by my mother or my sister at back at home,” he said. 

“Every time that I come from another country, sanay na ‘yung mom ko eh – spaghetti, chicken – andun na, nakahanda na. Tradition na namin as a family na every time we come home, ‘yun ‘yung unang meal namin talaga.”

He assured fans that he was not bluffing, and that they can even check that he and his family really eats Jollibee: “This is not ano ha. This is true. We have CCTV at home, you can check!”

According to him, being an artist in the Philippines means “thinking on your feet and forming meaningful connections with the community to help you grow.”  — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo; video editing by Martin Ramos

RELATED: ‘Box pa lang, ulam na’: Quiccs, Jollibee unbox new toy collab