Herschel Shapiro is an artist working from the Philippines who uses 3D printing to create beautiful wall art. His TikTok videos have garnered millions of views, and it’s easy to see why. Shapiro’s meticulous process began with 18 kg of PLA bioplastic filament, which he then spent weeks printing into small sculptures. We spoke to Shapiro about his process of incorporating 3D printing and manual design.

How did you get into 3D printing?

Before ever using a 3D printer, I learned about them on YouTube. I have always been interested in maker content and 3D printing channels like Maker’s Muse, Thomas Sanladerer, and CNC Kitchen. But I only started using a 3D printer a few years ago.

Were you an artist first or a 3D print creator first?

In high school, I focused on art, taking art classes in and after school. But ultimately, I went to college for computer science and started working in software development. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I began working on art and 3D printing, essentially at the same time.

Can you share what 3D printer you use and more about your design process?

I use a bunch of Creality Ender 3 v2 printers. I like them because they are great printers that work well, and finding spare parts for them is super simple. The software I use is Rhino3D with Grasshopper. Rhino3D differs from most CAD programs because it has powerful tools for working with curves and organic shapes. Grasshopper is essential to the process because it allows me to model the patterns of movement between all the pieces. All the pieces are exported from Rhino3D as STL files. And I use a Cura slicer to get them ready for 3D printing.

What inspired you to create these particular designs?

When I was really getting back into art a few years ago, I was super inspired by geometric paper art by artists like Matthew Shlian and Anna Kruhelska but also biomorphic art by Cj Jilek, Eva Zethraeus, and Lea Lenhart. It was obvious to me that 3D printing was the best way to combine the precision required to build geometric models as well as the expression required for creating organic forms.

You can buy Shapiro’s art on Etsy, or if you’re feeling inspired, you can download some free digital models through Thangs.