Drawing inspiration from wildlife: Pearlyn Sim transforms tardigrades into adorable toys

Once a niche hobby among creatives and comic book fans, the obsession with collecting toys – specifically blind boxes, most recently fuelled by Pop Mart collectibles – has sparked mass hysteria worldwide. A handful of self-taught female toymakers in Singapore are growing a cult following on Instagram for their adorably quirky figurines. In the second instalment of this three-part series, we speak with Pearlyn Sim of @ppdadventure.

An obsession with microscopic creatures – tardigrades – led Pearlyn Sim to turn a hobby into a side hustle. The full-time product and experience designer, who runs her own studio, works with organisations such as the National Heritage Board to design travelling galleries and signages.

Becoming a toy maker is a recent endeavour for Pearlyn, who only started making toys in early 2024. It all began when she was conceptualising fantasy board games inspired by wildlife.

“Most of my board games are print-and-play, so people buy the digital copy via Kickstarter and print it at home. One of them features a lot of the monsters I designed. Someone suggested I turn them into toys, and that’s how I started. I resin-printed a few myself, and it perfectly aligned with my interests. Around the same time, I was also getting into microscopic animals, like tardigrades,” she says.

An avid toy collector herself, Pearlyn’s home and workspace is peppered with Godzilla figurines, monsters from the Ultraman franchise, and life-like models of dinosaurs, creepy crawlies and reptiles. In her spare time, the herping enthusiast swings by nature parks to look for snakes.

“I’ve been a fan of wildlife since young, because my dad loved watching nature documentaries, so that nurtured my interest,” says Pearlyn, adding that she published a book of wildlife illustrations, Let Us Discover Yet Again: MacRitchie Forest, in 2017, modelled after the popular Where’s Wally? series of children’s puzzle books.

“I take inspiration from nature and wildlife, but I try to make my designs more personable while adding a kaiju or monster-like element to them.”

Having foundational knowledge in product design helped ease Pearlyn into the world of toy making, although she still faces challenges with manufacturing as she works with overseas manufacturers.

She shares: “It’s tough not being there physically to oversee the process. Miscommunication can be an issue. I do all the 3-D designs here and send the files to the manufacturer. It’s an expensive process, so I see it as a gamble. I initially told myself that if it didn’t sell, I’d just fill my house with toys!”

Despite these hurdles, Pearlyn is going places with her tardigrades. Last December, she participated in the Amazing Toy Show 2024 in Hong Kong and produced two limited edition, glow-in-the-dark designs named after the city’s attractions – Midnight Harbour and Sunset Bay – for the event.

Says Pearlyn: “This was my first overseas toy show, and my time there was stellar! It was amazing to see toy makers from all over the world gathered in a space showcasing their works – a scene that is going strong and thriving. Next, I’ll be attending the upcoming Wonder Festival 2025 in Chiba on Feb 9.”

When she’s ready to expand her tardigrade family, Pearlyn will be casting her net into the microscopic world again. She reveals: “For my next series, I’m thinking of exploring plankton, which I find fascinating. It’s challenging to translate their forms into toys, but I’m excited to give it a try.”

Available for purchase at @ppdadventure

PHOTOGRAPHY ANGELA GUO
ART DIRECTION ADELINE ENG
COORDINATION CHELSIA TAN
HAIR & MAKEUP BENEDICT CHOO, USING NARS