Abel Bajuelos runs 3DFab CREARTE, a small workshop and 3D printing service that he began in 2015. Though it’s a small company, it’s a major hub for 3D printing in Cuba; 3DFab CREARTE has served the 3D printing needs of everyone from individuals to small and medium businesses to large state organizations, participating in projects in the fields of art, architecture, engineering, industrial design and more.
“One of our most valued services is reverse engineering for spare parts,” he tells 3DPrint.com.
It’s a fascinating piece by itself, but the amount of work that went into it makes it even more impressive. According to Bajuelos, it’s the biggest 3D printed piece to be created in Cuba so far, and 3DFab CREARTE, where Gutiérrez printed the sculpture, went through six rolls of white PLA to complete it. The sculpture is made up of 150 pieces, each of which took four to seven hours to print on a FlashForge Creator X 3D printer. The total size is 68 x 68 x 7 cm.
The hard work and long hours paid off, as the sculpture is now showing at La Acacia, one of Havana’s most well-known and prestigious art galleries. Gutiérrez has gotten quite a bit of press regarding the piece, too. Her talent as a designer is obvious, as is her skill with a 3D printer, and from a look at the gallery of photos on 3DFab CREARTE’s Facebook page, she isn’t the only talented artist whose work has emerged from the small but successful workshop.
Though the printing service’s biggest source of business may be functional parts, it’s the creative pieces that stand out the most from any makerspace or service bureau, and I’m excited to see what else Gutiérrez, as well as the other artists who work from 3DFab CREARTE, create in the future. You can learn more about 3D printing in Havana in the video below (in Spanish), which was filmed at the 3DFab CREARTE workshop. Discuss in the Cuba forum at 3DPB.com.
[Images provided to 3DPrint.com by Abel Bajuelos]